HINTS
by Never Forevermore
Summary: The war is over. Voldemort is dead, but the four Hogwarts houses are still not united. So, to support inter house unity, Dumbledore introduces H.I.N.T.S., a new pen pal system. Chaos ensues, but will love between two once enemies also occur?
1. Prologue

**A/N : The idea's been done before, but I though it'd be fun. XD**

**Disclaimer : I OWN NOTHINGGGGG DXXX**

* * *

It was on top of the Astronomy tower she sat, the wind playing with her long hair, the special book resting lightly in her lap. Anticipation and excitement sparkled in her eyes and she quickly opened the plain cardboard brown book with delicate fingers, eager to get started.

Pure white parchment met her eyes, so bright that it seemed to glow in the dark star lit night. She scanned the page, her eyes squinting slightly in the darkness.

**WELCOME**

**To**

**H.I.N.T.S.**

**Hogwarts's Instant Note Transmission System**

**Please complete startup.**

**Once startup has been completed, your pen pal will be determined.**

**After your pen pal has been chosen, you will be free to note them at any time.**

**Startup will be available for the next**

**22 HOURS**

**If startup has not been completed by then, a teacher shall be alerted.**

**Please turn to the next page to begin startup.**

As she flipped the page carefully, she thought of all the alerts teachers would be getting due to pupils trying to avoid using their H.I.N.T.S. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Honestly, the whole H.I.N.T.S. thing wasn't _that_ bad.

**FIRST NAME : **

**MIDDLE INITIAL :**

**LAST NAME :**

Easy enough. She filled in the blanks, her neat sharp letters fitting in nicely with the clipped type of the page. As she lifted her quill, she noticed the form fade until it had disappeared, only to be replaced by a new form for her to fill out.

**GENDER (please circle) : M/F**

**BIRTHDAY :**

**AGE :**

**YEAR :**

**HOUSE :**

After filling out the new form and watching it vanish like before, she waited patiently for more text to appear. She was not disappointed.

**Thank you for completing all personal information. Please continue to the next page for login settings.**

Another flip of the page revealed more text.

**Please chose a name and password. Names shall be unique and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. If the name you have chosen is all ready in use, it will flash red and you will not be allowed to finish the startup process.**

**NAME :**

**PASSWORD :**

She paused. Like hell she would be like Lavender Brown and name herself something like Hogwarts'HighQueen4Evah (which she heard Lavender announce after receiving her H.I.N.T.S book). She looked at the stars for inspiration, watching them glimmer and gleam.

She like the night, especially in the spring and summer when the air was warmer and the stars seemed gold. It was always nice and peaceful and relaxed her stress away.

_Something about the night._ She decided. _Night's_… Deciding that too plain and thinking of her house's warm colors and the stars' shimmering hues, she threw in the word golden. _Golden Night's… Golden Night's what?_ She though of her favorite nighttime things. _Breeze? No. Whisper? No. Peace? No. Dream?_

It sounded all right so she penned it in, putting a quote she had heard somewhere as her password.

**NAME : Golden Night's Dream**

**PASSWORD : **

She watched the letters turn to little asterisks as she wrote in her password, also noticing how long it was and decided to change it later on. The form disappeared.

**Thank you for completing startup! Your name has been crossed off of the student list. You are now logged in and may change your personal preferences or continue on to find your pen pal.**

**To visit any page you have been to, including notes you have shared with your pen pal, please turn to the front page which contains a list of all the pages you have been to. Simply tap on the name of the page you would like to visit with your H.I.N.T.S. quill and the H.I.N.T.S. book will flip to that page.**

**Don't forget to log out once you are finished noting your Pen pal.**

She flipped to the front page, deciding to customize her H.I.N.T.S book before continuing on.

**Start Up**

**Login Settings**

**Personal Preferences**

**Chose Pen Pal**

**Log Out**

She tapped settings lightly with the special H.I.N.T.S. quill. The book jerked, flipped a few pages in a whirl of parchment. A rather complicated page met her eyes. It consisted of a color chart, much like the ones she had seen on the computer at home. The chart was rectangular, with two smaller rectangles making it up. The smaller rectangle sat to the right of the main one, a spectrum contained within it. The main rectangle had red as the sample color. With pure red in the top right corner, it got lighter and whiter as it went to the left and darker as it went down with grayscale at the left edge.

It looked hard, but once you got used to it, it was rather easy.

At the bottom of the page there was some more text, all the things that she could customize.

**Cover Material : Cardboard (default)**

**Page Color : White (default)**

**Cover Color : Cardboard Brown (default)**

**Size : 12 cm x 20 cm (Default)**

**Ink Color : Black (default)**

**Quill Color : Gray (default)**

Quite glad that she had decided to visit the personal preferences page before getting a pen pal, she began to customize her H.I.N.T.S. book.

She changed the cover to a nice soft leather, changing the color to a dark caramel brown. She made the pages a light cream, changing her quill to a dark chocolate brown and her ink to a golden caramel brown. She kept the size the same, thinking it was just perfect as it was.

Satisfied with her changes, she flipped to the front page and tapped Chose Pen Pal with her new quill. The book flipped to a page and she stared at it with excitement growing in her eyes.

Random names of various students who had all ready completed startup flashed on the page, each only readable for a second before a new name flashed in it's place. She watched the flashing slow, waiting anxiously for the name of her pen pal to which she would write to via H.I.N.T.S. the entire year to appear.

* * *

A bit earlier, he sat on a comfortable chair in the kitchens, a steaming cup of cocoa by his hand, a scowl on his face as he glared at the damnable book that sat on the table in front of him.

If it wasn't a grade, he'd throw the bloody thing in the fire.

He was bored and it was getting late so he figured he might as well get it over with. So he opened the blasted thing, the scowl growing larger on his face.

**WELCOME**

**To**

**H.I.N.T.S.**

**Hogwarts's Instant Note Transmission System**

**Please complete startup.**

**Once startup has been completed, your pen pal will be determined.**

**After your pen pal has been chosen, you will be free to note them at any time.**

**Startup will be available for the next**

**22 HOURS**

**If startup has not been completed by then, a teacher shall be alerted.**

**Please turn to the next page to begin startup.**

_They never mentioned a time limit when they passed out these damn books._ He thought, flipping the page, slightly grateful that he decided to open the thing tonight (thus unknowingly preserving his good grade).

**FIRST NAME : **

**MIDDLE INITIAL :**

**LAST NAME :**

He filled out the form, cursing every time his H.I.N.T.S. quill hit the paper. He watched the writing fade and vanish, a new form appearing it its place.

**GENDER (please circle) : M/F**

**BIRTHDAY :**

**AGE :**

**YEAR :**

**HOUSE :**

_He filled it out. Inter-house unity my ass,_ He growled to himself. _Maybe I could put a different house and get someone in mine. But they'd surely check my name and house to verify and catch me in the act._ The scowl grew.

**Thank you for completing all personal information. Please continue to the next page for login settings.**

He flipped the page, glaring all the while. The house elves, who were busy cleaning up the remains of the start of year feast, avoided the table he sat at like the plague.

**Please chose a name and password. Names shall be unique and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. If the name you have chosen is all ready in use, it will flash red and you will not be allowed to finish the startup process.**

**NAME :**

**PASSWORD :**

The password was easy. He filled that out no problem, positive no one would ever guess it. The pen name, however, was a whole other story. He imagined all the idiot names people would be putting and refused to be on of them. He though immediately of his pride in his house but though better of it. They were supposed to be anonymous and people would most likely be prejudiced against him, so that was out. Maybe his favorite gem and color? Emerald? _Not too feminine_. He thought, satisfied. _Clouds? NO!_ That made him seem like a pansy, even if he did like looking at the clouds. _Storm? _He liked flying through storms but Emerald Storm sounded like some lame battle name. Someone once told him his eyes were like ice. _Sounds fine._ He penned in his name.

**NAME : Emerald Ice Storm**

**PASSWORD : **

He watched this form disappear as well, his scowl slowly relaxing away as the smell of the kitchens soothed him.

**Thank you for completing startup! Your name has been crossed off of the student list. You are now logged in and may change your personal preferences or continue on to find your pen pal.**

**To visit any page you have been to, including notes you have shared with your pen pal, please turn to the front page which contains a list of all the pages you have been to. Simply tap on the name of the page you would like to visit with your H.I.N.T.S. quill and the H.I.N.T.S. book will flip to that page.**

**Don't forget to log out once you are finished noting your Pen pal.**

He turned to the front page with a quick flick of his wrist, the bright white parchment blinding him for a moment.

**Start Up**

**Login Settings**

**Personal Preferences**

**Chose Pen Pal**

**Log Out**

Wanting to avoid the whole pen pal thing as long as possible, he jabbed the line that contained personal preferences with his plain gray H.I.N.T.S quill, waiting and watching as the book flipped to the correct page. When the pages had settled, he nearly had a heart attack. The page looked insanely difficult. It had of a color chart. That much he could tell. The chart was rectangular, with two smaller rectangles making it up. The smaller rectangle sat to the right of the main one, a spectrum contained within it. The main rectangle had red as the sample color. With pure red in the top right corner, it got lighter and whiter as it went to the left and darker as it went down with grayscale at the left edge.

His brain groaned in protest, but he forced it to continue reading.

**Cover Material : Cardboard (default)**

**Page Color : White (default)**

**Cover Color : Cardboard Brown (default)**

**Size : 12 cm x 20 cm (Default)**

**Ink Color : Black (default)**

**Quill Color : Gray (default)**

It was official. H.I.N.T.S would be the death of him.

And so he began the terrible task of customizing his hints book. It took the better part of a half hour to figure out the damn thing, but once he was done he was quite pleased with himself.

Thinking of its softness and luxuriousness, he made the cover leather, also making it pitch black. He kept it the same size but changed the pages to a light cyan, making his quill black and his ink emerald green.

He though of how some girls would customize their books to be bright fuchsia with frills and bows and shuddered, flipping to the front page to get his pen pal.

He tapped the Chose Pen Pal and waited watching the page with careful eyes. Various pen names blinked and flashed on the page to which he could only catch brief glimpses of before they flashed away, replaced by another name. The blinking began to slow and finally one name remained on the page.

* * *

**Emerald Ice Storm**

She grinned.

* * *

**Golden Night's Dream**

He groaned.

**A/N : So what'd you think? Good? Bad? Review? Pleeeeaaaseeee? puppy dog face I'll give you ice creaaaammmm!**


	2. He Likes

**A/N : I'll take the time now** **to warn you : don't expect this fanfiction to be updated numerous times a week and don't expect the chapters to be long. I have so many things to do it's not even funny. XD**

**Ice cream to Lya DarkFury, Kat.1600, Axa, Jen3227, Blue-Stardust, PInkMusicalCherry, BloodyHellRose, FallingStar93, Dragon QuillZ, and xo-harlequin girl-xo. Thanks for the reviews! 8D**

**Lya DarkFury : I don't plan on them discovering each others' true identity for a while. 8D I dunno, it just doesn't seem as... real... to me when things go too fast. x3 I actually got the idea of a customizable HINTS book when I was making my website. I've always loved changing things around and figured why not have a customizable book?**

**PinkMusicalCherry : Yup, definitely long names. XXD**

**FallingStar93 : Yeah, it was a bit repetitive, but I wanted to include the book's writing from both of their points of views. The next chapters won't be nearly as repetitive though, so I hop that's a bit better. 83**

**BloodyHellRose : Thanks! Definitely cheesy, but it's the best I could come up with at 3 in the morning. XD;; Um, it's actually something I say quite a bit (it's actually my siggy on a few forums), especially when I look at the stars. "What a beautiful day, what a beautiful night." Without the spaces and the punctuation of course. It sorta makes sense (in a long way) since my username for everything (bellanotte) means Beautiful Night in Italian. I like adding in my pen name slash alias into my works as a sort of signature. xD  
**

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_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_I can't believe this, inter house unity my ass! That old geezer is off his rocker. A nutter if there ever was one. And 20 of our grade as well! And they check logs! To make sure we write! So I can't even **pretend** to write. Curse this damn school with it's bloody insane headmaster._

He was complaining for the thousandth time to his pen pal Golden Night's Dream only because the rest of his friends were tired of listening. So they had all 'mysteriously' disappeared, leaving him alone to fume and vent. Well, yelling and shouting and destroying his common room only satisfied him so much, so he turned to his pen pal (who, coincidentally, was on at the same time) to vent.

And man had he vented. For the past hour and a half, all he wrote to this random person was how insane this school was, various insults about the headmaster, etc. And all the other person had said was 'Mhm', 'Yeah', 'Sure', etc. So he was quite surprised when a block of neatly printed letters formed in reply on the page instead of the usual singly word.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Quite the whiner, now aren't you?_

He froze, taken aback. He was not a _whiner_! People from his family didn't whine, that was for house elves and old men who lost their bets. He most certainly was not a whiner. Slightly insulted, he wrote his reply with his H.I.N.T.S. quill, glaring at the page as if he were glaring at this 'Golden Night's Dream'.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_I most certainly am not a whiner. I'm merely very vocal about my discontent._

He leaned back into the pillows on his bed, letting his head rest on them for a bit. He was Head Boy, which came as quite a shock seeing as he had missed nearly all of last year (his sixth year) due to the war. He wasn't complaining, however, as he got his own bedroom to relax in, versus having to share it with numerous other boys, and he found the peace and quiet of it all quite enjoyable. True, the Head Girl might break the quiet when she discovered the wrecked common room, but he could stay in his room where she couldn't get to him and put a silencing spell on the door. He was sure the house elves would clean it up during the night.

He lifted his head to look at the H.I.N.T.S. book, checking to see if his pen pal had written back. He was not disappointed.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Merely very vocal about your discontent huh? Whiner. You sound like Lavender Brown when she's chipped a nail. But even she doesn't whine that much._

He scowled at her writing, definitely insulted. Lavender Brown!? That was the harshest most uncalled for thing he'd ever been compared to.

He noticed that she had written another post.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Come to think about it, you sound a lot like my friends when they whine. You're probably a guy. I've never heard a girl whine for an hour and thirty minutes over a petty pen pal system. Even Lavender seemed happy about it._

He grabbed the H.I.N.T.S. quill and replied quickly.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_That was uncalled for. Being compared to Brown is a fate worse than death. And lucky guess, I am a guy. Well, things that make Brown happy and things that make me happy are two totally different happys._

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_She's not that bad you know. She can be a bit annoying and irritating, but she does have her moments. Okay, so what makes you happy then?_

She replied quickly and he assumed that she had nothing better to do than write to him. He couldn't help but snort at the first part of her message. Lavender brown? Not that bad? As if. He was, however, taken aback at her question. When he started writing to this Golden Night's Dream, he did not intend for their conversation to get personal. But, supposing it wouldn't hurt, he jotted down an honest (and extremly short) reply.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_Flying_

He did not have to wait long for his pen pal's smooth script to appear on the page, the words fading in one by one as the person wrote them.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_That's it?! That's the only thing in the entire world that makes you happy? You must be dreadfully grouchy then, not being able to fly all hours of the day. xD What about flying do you like?_

He didn't see anything wrong with his reply. He hardly knew this person, what did they expect for him to write? An entire book on what made him happy? _They must be very trusting and trustworthy or very nosy if they're used to people telling them all about themselves,_ he reasoned as his mind began working away to figure out who his pen pal was (He was curious after all). And what on earth was xD? He'd ask that later.

**_Emerald Ice Storm :_**

_Yes that's it. I hardly know you, why should I tell you anything about myself? And I am not grouchy._

_I like everything about it. The feel of the wood under my fingers, the wind in my face, the way everthing blurs as I speed by. Being up high with nothing around you and nothing to stop you from falling but a flimsy piece of wood. It's impossible to describe accurately unless you've done it._

He stopped writing and let the words sink in, his mouth -usually a thin line- curving up slightly at the corners. He was quite surprised with his honesty with his pen pal but found that he actually liked the feeling. It pleased him to be able to be truthful with somebody, anybody, and not have to worry about ridicule or rumors.

Maybe this pen pal thing wouldn't be so bad.

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**A/N : Sorry it took a while. XD But this is how updates are usually going to be. I'm really busy with school, color guard practice, and all my other projects.**

**This is about how long chapters will be. Of course some will be a bit longer, but this is about average.**

**Review? Please? :c You'll get a chocolate bar of your choice if you do!**


	3. She Defends

**Sorry it's been forever since my previous update. XD**

**Chocolate goes to all my great reviewers. ;D**

**MuffinMartians : Er... I'm a bit confused on how I don't know anything about the English School System. XD;; I know Hogwarts is in Britain, but... xD;; Could you please explain...?**

**XLinzX : It says the characters at the top of the page, next to all the other info. Cx This is a Draco x Hermione story, so good guess. 8D**

**Jen3227 : When reading the Harry Potter series, to me, Hermione always seems forward and unafraid to speak her mind and opinions. xD That's just me though. As for 'xD' I figured that Hermione, being muggle born, would have experience with instant messaging and the internet. c: And thank you, I'm glad I managed to pull her off so far. 8D**

**Lya Darkfury : I agree, it just seems so unnatural to me, to instantly fall in love with someone. Especially with the history these two have, I figured that it would take time for them to get used to one another. Thanks for the lovely review. 8D**

**DragonQuillz : a;lsdkfja Color guard is the most amazing thing EVER! 8D Sorry to spazz out about it, but it's seriously my favorite thing to do ever. If you've ever watched a football game (highschool football games especially) you'll see that the bands perform at half-time or after the game. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that there are people performing with the band who are actually spinning flags, rifles, sabers, and pretty much anything else we can get our hands on. Those people spinning are the color guard. 8D We count as part of the band, but we don't play instruments while marching. If you have any questions about it, I'd love to answer them. ;D**

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. D;**

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She tapped the end of her quill lightly on the textbook that sat unused in front of her. She was in the History of Magic classroom, the class only having started five minutes ago, and it was her last class before lunch break. She slouched over her desk, her chin cupped in her palm as her eyelids began to droop. The class had all ready gone over this lesson the week before, but it seemed that Professor Binns had forgotten that little fact. Most of the students in the class were all ready sound asleep, and, as much as she hated to admit it, Binns' droning voice was lulling her to sleep as well. She gave herself a quick internal shake and wracked her brain for something to keep her awake for the rest of the lesson.

She allowed here eyes to wander, letting them finally rest on a corner of her H.I.N.T.S. book that peeked out of her crammed book bag.

She scolded herself softly, not believing that she was actually going to completely ignore a lesson. _My friends' habits are definitely rubbing of on me_, she thought with a frown.

With a sigh, she cracked open the little book and took out her H.I.N.T.S. quill. With a casual flick of her wrist, she had logged in and had found the page that listed who was currently logged in as well. None of her friends were using their book (she had added them all to her friends list when she discovered they could talk to people other than their pen pal just as long as they had their pen name), but Emerald Ice Storm was. She frowned, tapping his name, and began to write.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_Don't you have lessons right now?_

His reply came faster than she expected and her frown deepened as she read his reply.

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

… _Yes…, why?_

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_Well shouldn't you be paying attention to your professor then? You could miss something important!_

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_I could say the same thing to you._

She huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at the reply as if she were actually glaring at the writer instead.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_That's different, my professor has all ready taught this lesson last week and seems to have forgotten._

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

… _Suuuurrrreeee_

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_It's true! I have the lesson notes to prove it!_

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_Who cares about your bloody notes?_

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_Language! And these notes will ensure that I pass the upcoming exams, which will help me get good marks, and those'll help me pass this year at Hogwarts, which will-_

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_For Merlin's sake! Okay, I get it, I GET IT. Those notes'll ensure your survival in the magical world. Jeez._

_And aren't exams in… what...? A few__ months__?_

_And I'll use whatever language I bloody well please._

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_Just because they're a few months away doesn't mean I can't begin preparing myself. The early bird gets the worm._

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

… _The school year __just__ started. Don't you think that's just a __bit__ early?_

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late._

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_Where the hell do you get all those phrases?_

She paused, unsure on how to reply. She grew up with those phrases, but revealing herself as a muggleborn witch would aide her pen pal in discovering who she was. But she didn't want to lie either.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_I have a few muggle friends I learned them from._

It wasn't a total lie, her muggle friends did use those phrases often.

She expected a quick reply, as he had replied quickly throughout the entire conversation, but a reply never came. Five minutes passed and there was still no reply. Anxiously, she began to worry that he had been caught writing in his H.I.N.T.S. book when he should've been paying attention, but her H.I.N.T.S. book said he was still logged in. She reread her last message, wondering if she had said anything offending. She didn't find anything wrong with her message, so, her brows furrowed in confusion, she wrote him another message.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

… _What? Was it something I said?_

She set down her H.I.N.T.S. quill and leaned back in her chair as she waited for a reply. Again, no reply came. Several minutes passed, but just as she was about to logout and close her H.I.N.T.S. book, his neat script faded onto the page.

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_So you're a muggle lover._

Her temper flared as her cheeks flushed with rage. It wasn't even a question, it was just a statement, and it cut her as harshly as a serrated knife. Just the way he said it was offending and she snatched her H.I.N.T.S. quill, stabbing at the page.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_Why yes, as a matter of fact I __AM__._

_What's wrong with muggles?_

She waited angrily for his reply, glaring expectantly at the page to read his explanation. But just as she began to see his writing fade onto her page, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson and the beginning of the lunch break.

She slammed her H.I.N.T.S. book shut, jamming it into her book bag along with all her other things and stalked furiously out the door.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. C: I'm working on the next one as I type. xD**

**Review for a popsicle? :3**


	4. He Preaches

**A/N : Thanks for all the reviews you guys. |D I ALSO HAVE TWO CHALLENGES FOR YOU ALL. So please read this A/N. XD;;**

**Firstly, thank you Mew Luchia, blackXroseXpiano93, Ca803, Edom4tehLEPrecon, Starfire54, xLinzx, and MuffinMartians for your reviews. 83**

**MuffinMartians : Nonononoooo, don't worry about it. XDD;; I was just a bit confused is all. CX It was supposed to say '20 percent of our grade' but I suppose that FF doesn't allow the percent symbol. XD;; I'll go fix that asap. And thank you. 83 **

**NOW FOR THE CHALLENGES. |D**

**Challenge #1 : Give me a word, ANY WORD, and I'll make a Dramione fic based on it. |D I'll chose one word out of all the words suggested in this Chapter's reviews and I'll write a single chapter Dramione fic based on it, using at least 1,500 words. Whoever's word I used will have the story dedicated to them and will be able to read the fanfic before I post it publicly. C:**

**Challenge #2 : Give me a song, ANY SONG, and I'll make a Dramione fic based on it. XXD Just like I'll do for Challenge #1, I'll chose one song out of all the songs suggested in this Chapter's reviews and I'll write a single chapter Dramione songfic using it, using at least 2,000 words. And whoever's song I used will have the fic dedicated to them and will be able to read the songfic before I post it publicly.**

**I'll give you all _5 DAYS_ to submit your words and songs. :] On the 31st, I'll chose the word I like the most and the song I think would inspire a nice story and I'll write up those fics. I'll probably post a new chapter to this story before I submit the two fics though. ;]  
**

**I'm doing this because one, I'm a random idiot who loves a good challenge, and two, I need inspiration. |D**

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His lip curled as he read her last message, tucking the H.I.N.T.S. book into a pocket in his robes. His mindless pair of lackeys following him, he allowed himself be washed out of the classroom by the wave of students that flushed from it, all eager to make the best of their lunch break. He followed the crowd until they reached the doors to the Great Hall but turned suddenly, deciding he wanted to spend lunch alone today. His two 'body guards' (as the rest of the school called them) continued through the doors with the crowd, completely oblivious to the fact that their leader was no longer present. He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

His polished shoes made little noise as he strolled down the deserted corridors, hands resting leisurely in his trouser pockets. Weaving through the maze of corridors expertly, he soon arrived outside in a matter of minutes, and he immediately made his way towards an ancient willow by the lake. It was quite nice outside, the sun shining happily from it's throne in the sky, bathing everything in a warm golden glow. There was a faint trickle of breeze that wove through the landscape, light and comforting, and it gently played with his white-blond locks as he seated himself beneath the bent willow. He shrugged out of his hot, heavy robes, taking the H.I.N.T.S. book out of the pocket before letting the cloth coil in a messy bundle at his side.

He gazed at the lake. The sunshine played on it's surface, the waves brightly adorned skirts dancing in the breeze, and barely a trace of marshmellow cloud whisped the true blue sky. He sighed, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, bringing himself to peace, before leaning back against the smooth willow bark and propping the H.I.N.T.S. book open.

Her proud and demanding last message glared at him from the pages.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_Why yes, as a matter of fact I __AM__._

_What's wrong with muggles?_

His answer flowed smoothly from his quill, having been etched perfectly into his mind since birth. It was the precise, dignified response that his father had told him when he could barely speak, the same response his grandfather had told his father, the same exact words that the parents throughout his purebred line had told their children.

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_Muggles are the lowest of the low. Dirty and uncivilized, they are unfit to be bestowed with the privilege of magic. They are scum that deserve nothing more than the honor of serving those of pure blood._

He had barely set his quill down when her heated reply boiled onto the page.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_That is the most rediculous load of bull that I've ever had the displeasure to read. What makes muggles any less of a person than you and I?_

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_Simple. They are not blessed with magical abilities._

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_How is that their fault? You're going to treat other people badly because of something they can't help? Just because they can't do magic doesn't make them any less of a person. What do you think wizards and witches are? Human beings. And what are muggles? HUMAN BEINGS. We are the same._

He frowned and his brow furrowed as he jotted down his reply, becoming engrossed in their little argument. His lunch, a few cakes and a few sandwiches, lay forgotten in his robe pocket. His quill stabbed the book's interior, his neat writing becoming messier as he wrote faster, his beliefs pouring out onto the page.

_**Emerald Ice Storm:**_

_We are far from the same. Muggles are lowly and unclean, obviously unfit to perform magic. Even mudbloods are higher than they, even they are deemed worthy enough to learn magic, filthy as they are. Muggles should be gotten rid of or enslaved. And the mudbloods. They should be enslaved as well._

This was what his father had told him. His father was long gone, killed in the war along with a great majority of the other Death Eaters and Voldemort, but his ideas were still engraved in his brain. With his father being a Death Eater, it was a miracle that he avoided Azkaban when Harry Potter had ended the war by killing Voldemort. But if there was one thing people from his house were known for, it was self-preservation. It became quite clear a few months before the war ended that Voldemort would not win, and, at his father's urging, he and his mother switched sides. Well... switched sides might not exactly the right way to phrase it. They merely became neutral, not helping the Death Eaters, but not opposing the Order of the Phoenix. In this way he and his mother escaped Azkaban, yet his fellow house-mates did not detest him and still regarded him as their 'prince'.

He was nudged out his thoughts as her script slid onto the page. He was surprised by her reply, expecting another fiery rant like her previous responses. And as much as he hated to admit it, an uncomfortable knot settled deep within his stomach as his eyes slid over the words.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_I feel sorry for you._

An indescribable feeling came over him, uncomfortable and writhing. His face, usually a calm emotionless mask, briefly portrayed his confusion, which he attempted to voice, picking up his quill and beginning to form the words, but before he could finish writing the first word, her neat writing cut him off, continuing from her previous message. His eyes scanned the text and he reeled at her words as if punched, his forehead creased, slumping against the old willow trunk, his H.I.N.T.S. book falling from his lap as he thought about what she said. Her warm brown ink formed a hard, cold message on the page.

_**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_You're so blinded by sourceless prejudice that you don't understand the true value of a human life. You'd kill helpless people just because of something they can't control. You'd readily abuse the magic you were blessed with to murder those who were not bestowed with the same gift. You don't deserve magic._

_**Golden Night's Dream has signed off.**_

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**A/N : Review for all the Holiday cookies you could wish for! **

**Sorry for any typos and grammar mistakes, I really wanted to get this in time for Christmas. XD;; -epicfail-  
**

**And please participate in the two challenges. ;c If enough people show interest, I might do those challenges once every few chapters. Thanks you guys!  
**


	5. She Contemplates

**My, how time flies. Xx;; Sorry it's short, but here you gooooo~**

**WINNERS! 8D Thank you for all the entries, I'm sorry I couldn't chose more winners. D; BUT I have chosen winners who, I believe, will provide very... entertaining -insert mischievous face here please- fanfictions. **

**FOR THE WORD, the winner is.... -drumroll- _LIFESAVERS_! Submitted by Starfire54. I all ready have the whole story planned out and am in the process of typing it up. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it, I know I'm having fun writing it. xD**

**FOR THE SONG, the winner is.... -drumroll- _HOT N COLD_! Submitted by MuffinMartians. I have the general basic idea for the story, haven't started writing though. But it'll be one of the most entertaining to write, that's for sure.**

**Again, thank you for ALL the entries, and I'm sorry I could only pick one per category! D; But I WILL be doing more of these in the future. 8D**

**xLinzx : I'm glad you like it. 8D That's always been one thing that bugged me in alot of Dramione stories. Cx Draco's always been one of my favorite antagonists because of his attitude and past, and I wanted to keep that in this story and sort of show how I think the two could actually make it as a couple. Also, I actually love River Flows in You, I listen to it all the time. 8D I was actually considering making a short oneshot original fiction story based on it a while ago. xD**

**MuffinMartians : Sorry for that little slipup. xD It seems FanFiction blocks out a few symbols and I was unaware that percentage symbols were one of them. xD;; I'll be more careful when screening my writing for more little mishaps like that. ;)**

**DISCLAIMER : Oh, woe is me! I own nothingness.**

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She moaned quietly as she slowly slipped into the hot and steaming bathwater. Her muscles relaxing one by one, the tenseness of her body slowly washing away one muscle at a time, she allowed the spiraling bubbly scent of the water swirl freely up her nose and settle into her mind, putting her at ease. With a gentle sigh of content, her neck slowly relaxed, letting her head rest against the padded rim of the bathtub. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched a curl of her caramel colored hair, thick and full, though not as frizzy as it had been when she was younger, dance in the water. She watched it for a moment, the slow waltz of the tendril strangely calming, before her eyelids slid closed.

She was a busy, busy, _busy_girl and rarely had time for such luxurious baths. Usually, after completing her homework and studying until exhaustion forced her to stop, she only had enough time and energy to take a quick five minute shower before dragging herself to bed. But, being the bright student she was, she had managed to finish all her homework for the next week and had yet to be notified of an upcoming exam to study for. Not only that, her two best friends were outside at the Quidditch pitch, practicing for their next match, leaving her with nothing to do for the next few hours. And so, she figured that a nice, relaxing bath was in order, and promptly grabbed her things and made her way to the Heads' bathroom.

The Heads' bathroom was a large room in the Head's quarters, linked to both of their rooms for easy access. Fortunately, the doors were enchanted so that while one Head was in the bathroom, both doors locked themselves so that the other couldn't enter without permission. With this spell in place, she felt relatively safe from the head boy, as she didn't trust the Head Boy as far as she could throw him, and, quite frankly, didn't feel like dealing with him tonight.

She had had a rough day. Just remembering the incident cause her entire body to tense as if the full body bind hex had been, undoing all the affects the warm bathwater had caused.

How dare he say those things? She though angrily, her full lips tightening and her brow furrowing. To say she was angry would be an understatement. Merlin forbid anyone cross her tonight, because that girl was downright _pissed_. But deep under her fuming exterior, she was hurt. She knew that she barely knew this guy and she shouldn't be so offended and put out by his remarks, but she couldn't help but wonder if that's what other people thought when they set eyes on her. Dirty and uncivilized? She unconsciously opened her eyes and gazed, glazed eyed, at her arm, as if searching for a piece of dirt or grime that proved his statements correct.

Slowly, she slumped lower in the tub.

She thought back to their earlier conversation and winced, each of his clipped and biting phrases stabbing at her emotions savagely. She exhaled sharply, jamming her eyes shut and pursing her lips, irritated that mere words could affect her so, angry at herself for even contemplating that his words might have had a bit of truth to them. She was _not_ dirty. She was _not_ uncivilized. And she did _not_ have to prove _anything_ to this guy.

Her confidence returned, she relaxed once more, an easy smile spreading across her lips. She heard a harsh banging at one of the bathroom's door quickly accompanied by the Head Boy's drawling shout.

"Look, I know you mudbloods are filthy and coated in dirt, but does it honestly take you two _bloody_ hours to scrape all that grime off?!"

She ignored him, his hurtful words not even scraping the tough armor of her mind. She was on top of the world, her anger, frustration, and hurt completely gone, leaving only a handful of emotions in their place. Happiness, content, ease... all swirled through her body, making her feel warm. But out of all those emotions, pity was the strongest.

She couldn't imagine what it would be like, being him for a day, with such a limited outlook on people. He was cutting himself off from potentially amazing people, something that he could regret in a few years. How lonely he must be, with only close-minded purebloods (for no muggleborn would talk about themselves or others in such a way, unless they were completely mental) or halfbloods for friends. But then again, with the attitude he carried on with her, he might not have all that many friends at all...

Her mind settled and locked onto a course of action. She would help him get over his irrational and close-minded thoughts, whether he wanted her help or not.

The Head Boy continued his banging on the door, shouting profanities and insults as he attempted to break down the door. Unfortunately for him though, the Head Girl, free and relaxed and at ease, slipped deeper into the tub so that her ears were submerged and she could no longer hear him, and remained in the bathroom for the next two hours, perfectly happy and enjoying life.

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**Reviews are love. D;**


	6. He Simmers

**A/N : Sorry for the lack of updates. Getting back into the groove of this story though.**

**Love to trysomethingnew, Lya Darkfury, blackXroseXpiano93, A1328, Mona, Starfire54, Blossomgirl94, xLinzx, and Muffinmartians for the wonderful reviews.**

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He was relaxing in his room again, though the term "relaxing" is here used loosely. Irritation spread across his aristocratic features and he was sprawled regally across his bed with his H.I.N.T.S. book propped open in front of him.

His annoyance was justified. His pen pal, that bloody wanker Golden Night's Dream, hadn't written to him in two bloody weeks and his marks reflected her silence. He scowled as he recalled his little meeting with Snape in which he was notified his grade was steadily dropping. It wasn't that she hadn't been on the H.I.N.T.S. network. Oh, no, she had been on all right. He had _seen_ her on. But every time _he_ signed on, _she_ signed off. It was infuriating. People of _his _station were _never_ ignored.

But that got him thinking. And not in the good way. Even after two weeks, her words still bothered him, plagued him, attacked him. They created a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't guilt. No, no it was most certainly _not_ guilt, of that he was quite positive. It was, he determined, a strange feeling of uneasiness. He had never been pitied. People of his station were not pitied.

Oh.

There it was again.

People of his station.

He exhaled sharply in frustration and ran a pale hand through his silky blond hair. People of his station. Her words did not hurt him, nor did they make him feel guilty or regret his words, but the uneasiness... That strange unsettling uneasiness that knotted his stomach and refused to go away was quite unwanted and confusing. How could anyone pity him? Why would anyone pity _him_? He had everything. Everything he could ever want! And yet she pitied him. She, a lowly muggle-lover pitied him.

It just didn't make any sense.

And it pestered him. Oh, how it pestered him. He couldn't take his mind off of it. He looked for every sort of distraction to divert his attention, but nothing could dislodge that abominable feeling from his mind nor stomach. He had launched himself into his studies, driving himself to near exhaustion. That failed. He had hung out with one of his more trusted friends, Blaise Zabini, and his two bumbling idiots. That failed. He even returned to his womanizing ways, wooing the delectable witches that sauntered deliciously through Hogwarts' halls. And, even when his eyes were clouded were lust as they gave in to his charm and accompanied him back to his room, it too failed.

He couldn't think. He couldn't function. For Merlin's sake, he couldn't screw gorgeous girls properly!

Which is why, at ten o' clock on a Thursday night, he lay on his comfortable bed, peering coldly at the book, waiting for his tormentor, his terrorist of a pen pal, to clear up the feelings her words had caused and to push his confusion away. She had to get on sometime. Heh, if she didn't want to fail her seventh year, she would have to get on sometime. And sometime soon. He smirked to himself and watched the page carefully, ready to launch his interrogation as soon as she came online.

His waiting did pay off.

He cackled somewhat menacingly as Golden Night's Dream signed on and quickly stabbed at her name with his H.I.N.T.S. quill, scribbling a quick message to her to make sure she wouldn't sign off again.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_You._

Not the most creative message he'd ever written, he'd admit, but it was short, sweet, simple, to the point, and hopefully managed to convey his irritation. He scowled as her script calmly appeared on the page in a simple message.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Me._

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_You've been avoiding me._

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Have I? What makes you think that?_

He snorted and glared at the page. He wasn't daft. It was obvious she had been ignoring him.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_Don't play games with me. Why?_

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Games? I haven't been playing games with you. But I always have loved a good game, so if you have one in mind feel free to share the rules.  
Why what?_

He felt like hitting his head against his headboard repeatedly. This woman was a goddamn pain in the ass.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_Why the bloody hell have you been ignoring me, you daft wench!?_

He stabbed, finally losing his temper with the witch. He was normally calm and cool, but her smartass comments and irritating nature on top of his insomnia and overall grouchy mood were just not a good combination.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Temper, temper. You should really mind your language, you never do know who will overhear. And it would be my pleasure to inform you that I am neither daft, nor am I a wench. :]_

He growled, ready to attack her again for her smartass comments and her use of another one of those stupid expressions ( :], what the bloody hell was that? A muggle thing no doubt, just like that xD.) but she continued to write.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_What, is my avoidance of your arrogant presence bothering you?_

Seeing as he wanted answers, he let her little jab at him slide, instead getting right to the point.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_No, it's not. What's bothering me is my dropping grade. I did not spend six bloody years in this psychotic institution only to fail my last year because some muggle-lover decided to screw me over for no apparent reason._

He expected her reply to be heated as she had observed before, but he was quite surprised when her calm reply slid onto the page.

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Why do you hate muggles so much?_

He sighed exasperatedly, knowing he had all ready lectured her on this matter.

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_I've told you before. Muggles are pure scum, as are the mudbloods. And muggle and mudblood lovers, such as yourself are just as-_

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_And what makes you think that? What proof do you have? Show me and I'll be convinced._

He faltered. Evidence? It was a well known fact, there was no need for _evidence_. But still he wracked his brain for an answer and was surprised when he couldn't find one. He was the second smartest student in the entire school and a pureblood to boot. He should know this!

_**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_They're less civilized and advanced as us._

_**Golden Night's Dream :**_

_Oh, really? Less civilized? How so? Last time I checked, they lived in houses and apartments and mansions just as we do. They eat the same food we do, they bathe just as often as us, and they learn just as many subjects as we do. They have wars just as we do, they are just as polite and impolite as we are, and they achieve peace just as we do. I see no real difference.  
As for advancement, I must disagree. They may not have magic to aid them in their inventions, but they've survived remarkably well without it. Their post is almost identical to ours, their phones are similar to our floo, their pens and pencils to our quills. Again, no real difference._

_Magical folk and muggles are more similar than you think. Face it, without your magical little twig of wood, you're no different than a muggle. Don't know why you'd think otherwise or who would tell you such things. We're all human beings._

He remained stoic, letting her words sink in. He couldn't find fault in her argument.

___**Emerald Ice Storm :**_

_Well, my father always said-_

___**Golden Night's Dream:**_

_You shouldn't let other people think for you, you know. You sound like you're quite intelligent, I think you're smart enough to think for yourself and not just repeat what you've been told by other people, family or not. But anyways it's getting really late, it's all ready twelve and I have classes first hour in the morning. Talk to you later. :]_

___**Golden Night's Dream has signed off.

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**A/N: Sorry for such a lapse in updates, I made this chapter quite a bit longer in an attempt to apologize. Thank you for the reviews, they really keep me going.**

**Sorry for all the grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes. I fixed them the best I could but I'm really tired and wanted to get this chapter out to you guys.  
**

**Review and I'll give you a slice of my birthday cake**


	7. She is Victorious

**A/N: Longest real chapter so far, 1,815 words not counting the A/N's.**

**Thanks you guys for the reviews, they're the reason I got this chapter out so quick. :) That being said, pieces of my extremely delicious birthday cake go to xSweetAshesx, Haruki Riku, Nightraze, Pienky, Starfire54, and xLinzx.**

**I'm almost done with the next chapter. C:**

**So how about this, you guys. _As soon as a receive ten reviews, I'll post the new chapter._ It sounds mean and selfish and I'm sorry, but you really have no idea how good reviews make me feel. They seriously make my day and make writing really worth while.**

**Starfire54: I'm glad I managed to make your day. C: You saying that really made my day, so thank you. This chapter is dedicated to you for that reason and for you being such a great reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: still owning nothing.**

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_**Emerald Ice Storm:**  
_

_So... Why did you change your name?_

She hummed softly, leaning against a pillar in the courtyard, her knees propped up with her H.I.N.T.S. book in her lap. Classes had been good so far today and currently she had a free period.

**_I__ncandescence:_**

_I dunno, Golden Night's Dream was so long. I mean, yeah I like the night and stuff, but I really like the word incandescence better._

**_Emerald Ice Storm:_**

_You do know it's only 3 letters shorter, right?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_... Don't hate. It's shorter than yours, anyways. :P_

**_Emerald Ice Storm:_**

_... Touche. Kinda makes me want to change my own name._

**_Incandescence:_**

_Haha you should. :D_

**_Emerald Ice Storm:_**

_Dunno what to change it to though. Um... Elimination? Discharged? Transmission? Deviation?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_I like that one. :]_

**_Emerald Ice Storm:_**

_Deviation?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_Indeed._

**_Deviation:_**

_There._

**_Incandescence:_**

_Cool._

A slightly awkward silence passes as she wrote, not knowing what else to say. She yawned, extremely tired due to last night. Even though she was quite exhausted, she was pleased with last night's conversation. Thank Merlin it was Friday. A few more awkward minutes passed before his text slithered onto the page.

**_Deviation:_**

_So._

**_Incandescence:_**

_So._

**_Deviation:_**

_So._

**_Incandescence:_**

_So...?_

**_Deviation:_**

_So about what you said last night._

That caught her interest and she sat up straighter.

**_Incandescence:_**

_Yes?_

It took a moment for him to reply.

**_Deviation:_**

_What you said. I decided to give it a try. Thinking for myself._

**_Incandescence:_**

_Good! Getting a broader view of the world is excellent. You'll meet tons of great-_

**_Deviation:_**

_Hey, I said I'd give it a try, not that I'd become a mud- a muggleborn lover. I still hate them, but I'll give them a chance, I suppose, and stop being a prat. I thought alot about it last night and I see what you're saying. So I'll give it a try. But I make no promises._

**_Incandescence:_**

_I couldn't ask for anything more. :D_

She grinned victoriously, leaning back into the pillar and taking a moment to enjoy the outdoors. She was glad that he had taken her words (maybe) to heart and would attempt to change his outlook. Not wanting to pressure him or anything, she decided to change the subject.

**_Incandescence:_**

_So I think it's safe to say you're not a Gryffindor._

**_Deviation:_**

_What?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_You're not a Gryffindor. Am I right?_

**_Deviation:_**

_Not so lucky guess. Thank Merlin I'm not in Gryffindor._

**_Incandescence:_**

_What's wrong with Gryffindor?_

**_Deviation:_**

_I have my reasons._

She didn't press the subject. She had only just gotten him to try and be more accepting to muggles and muggleborns, she didn't want to stress over another sour topic with him. Instead she continued on her previous note.

**_Incandescence:_**

_So you're not in Gryffindor, and you're male, and-_

**_Deviation:_**

_Yes, I do indeed have a dick. I have quite a few women to vouch for me, if you don't believe me._

**_Incandescence:_**

_No need to be crude. {_{_

**_Deviation:_**

_Ha, so you're a prude?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_Am not!_

Her cheeks flushed in indignation, but she grinned to herself. His tone was light and teasing, not as dark and gloomy as she was used to. She found that it was rather entertaining to joke around with him.

**_Incandescence:_**

_Anyways, you're male-_

**_Deviation:_**

_Yes, I believe we've established this-_

**_Incandescence:_**

_And you're in seventh year._

**_Deviation:_**

_Obviously-_

**_Incandescence:_**

_So let's see... I don't think you're a Hufflepuff-_

**_Deviation:_**

_If I was, I'd've Avada'd myself a long time ago-_

**_Incandescence:_**

_So that leaves either Slytherin or Raenclaw._

**_Deviation:_**

_The question is which, now isn't it?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_You say you like flying, and I'm willing to bet that you probably have__ some talent for it, so maybe you're on the Quidditch team-_

**_Deviation:_**

_I dunno, am I?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_You're also somewhat intelligent-_

**_Deviation:_**

_Somewhat!?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_And a pureblood._

**_Deviation:_**

_Damn straight._

**_Incandescence:_**

_So that eliminates a fair few._

**_Deviation:_**

_Care to warrant any guess?_

**_Incandescence:_**

_Eh... no, I think I'll keep on piecing together the clues until I'm one-hundred percent positive of who you are. :]_

**_Deviation:_**

_Good luck with that. But since you've been piecing things together, I only think it's fair that I have a go._

**_Incandescence:_**

_... I suppose._

**_Deviation:_**

_So it's safe to say you're not in Slytherin._

**_Incandescence:_**

_Isn't that obvious?_

**_Deviation:_**

_I don't know any 7th year female Slytherins as muggle-loving as you._

**_Incandescence:_**

_I'm choosing to take that as a compliment._

**_Deviation:_**

_You don't write like a complete idiot, so I'm also assuming that you're semi-intelligent. You're a prude-_

**_Incandescence:_**

_I am not a prude!!!_

**_Deviation:_**

_-And you have classes first hour on Fridays. Not much to go on, but it illimates a few of our classmates._

**_Incandescence:_**

_Bwahaha goodluck. xD_

**_Deviation:_**

_I could say the same to you._

**_Incandescence:_**

_Let the competition begin. }]_

_

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_**A/N: Hope you guys liked it, quite a bit more dialogue between the two. C: Hope you also don't mind the name changes, I started this story two (wow, such a long time ago...) years ago, and those old names just seriously... fail.**

_**REMEMBER! Ten reviews = new chapter. The sooner there's ten, the sooner the next chapter comes out. ;D**_

**Again, sorry for spelling or grammar.  
**

**And if you review, you won't only get a new chapter! Oh no, if you review you'll get a delectable sugar cookie my mother made for her job. C:**


	8. He Meets Karma

**A/N: New longest chapter, 1,924 words. C:**

**Thanks for the reviews, I swear, you guys are just totally amazing. I hope you all don't mind if I keep the requesting reviews?**

**_Soooo, 10 more reviews and you'll get a chapter. |D_  
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**Sugar cookies to the lovely halogirl810, x-hermalfoy, darling draco., wickdwrtr, Yume Ninja, sarabara, Haruki Riku, michellepittmanblack, obsessivepottercullendisorder, starfire54, and xLinzx**

**You guys are the reason this chapter came out so fast. :D**

**Haruki Riku : Is this soon enough? :DD  
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**x-hermalfoy : I know, I'm sorry. D: But reviews just really up my mood alot and inspire me to work more often on this story. It's rude of me to demand reviews, but they keep me going. ;~;**

**xLinzx : I understand what you mean. C: I'm actually avoiding the war right now, I might mention it later on, but at the moment neither one of them will really be talking or thinking about it. Haha, noooo, I didn't want to keep it anonymous. :D I'm actually using the pronouns on purpose, their full names will be used later on in the story. Sorry if it's slightly confusing, I just really wanted to write it that way. xD Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to you. C: Thanks for all of your great reviews and here's a (hopefully) more Potter-esque chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Own I Nothing, Nothing I Own.**

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_**Incandescence has singed off**_

With a smirk he flipped his H.I.N.T.S. book close and reclined in his chair, leaning it back on two legs. He still couldn't believe he was giving this whole 'muggles aren't complete filth' ideology a chance, but he was in no way a puppet and refused to live my his dead father's word. He would decide for himself.

With his eyes on the clock, he counted down the minutes until Binns' class was over. Three... Two... One... The bell tolled, signaling the end of class and everyone threw their things into their bags and sprinted out of the classroom, eager to be away from the monotonous old ghost.

Walking through the corridor he sighed, rolling his eyes and curling his lip. It was last hour for the day, and, unfortunately, it happened to be transfiguration with the Gryffindorks. As he approached McGonagall's classroom, he spotted the Golden Trio coming from the other way and immediately plastered on his trademark smirk. Yes, he had switched sides during the war and helped (oh, how that word caused bile to rise in his throat) The Boy Who Wouldn't Bloody Die to kill Voldemort and a good deal of Deatheaters, he still hated him and his little posse. With a snicker he casually flicked his wand, muttering a quick charm under his breath, glancing nonchalantly at the Weasel to see if it worked. To his satisfaction it did. With the yelp similar to that of a strangled dog, Ron Weasley's black school slacks jerked down, revealing his magenta colored underwear with gold flashing 'Ron's stitched into it. He chuckled as Weasley's face turned beet red as he stumbled, quickly jerking his pants up before anyone else could see his boxers, a gift from his mother, no doubt. Potter looked like he was struggling not to laugh as he spoke to his best mate, probably trying to ease his embarrassment. Granger was busy looking anywhere but Weasley, her face a violent maroon, muttering things under her breath.

Ah, so the mudblo-

_We always keep our word,_ he reminded himself, halting the thought before the word could fully form. _I will think for myself._

Ah, so the _muggle-born_ witch was embarrassed by such things, was she? He chuckled again, louder, finally attracting the attention of the Trio.

"You!" Weasley gasped, realizing the cause for his humiliation was the tall wizard approaching them. Potter immediately became guarded and Granger's gaze snapped to him, eyes narrowed.

"Nice knickers you got there Weasley," He sneered, approaching the transfiguration classroom door. "Your mother must've gone all out on those. Flashing thread? Why, that's first-class right there." He snickered, slipping through the door and walking to his seat. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Weasel lunge for him, only to be held back by Potter and Granger. He rolled his eyes.

Relaxing in his chair, he watched a fuming Ronald Weasley stomp through the door, taking his normal seat along with his two friends. A few classmates looked at him curiously, and those that had been out in the hall and had seen the entire thing laughed, but he just smirked, satisfied with his light mischief.

It was an advanced transfiguration class and soon the remaining students, only four or five more, sat down. McGonagall launched into the day's lecture.

"Today," She announced firmly, walking from behind her desk, "We will be practicing human to animal transformations. As this is the advanced class, I have no doubt that most of you will complete this assignment successfully. I will be splitting you up into pairs after I have finished speaking. Once in your pairs, you will group up and you will each transfigure you partner into their house mascot." She brandished her wand and charmed a piece of chalk to write the spells on the chalkboard. "For transfiguring Hufflepuff's the spell is '_transmorphus taxidea taxusan_.' For Ravenclaws it's '_transmorphus corvus coraxio_'. Gryffindors, '_transmorphus panthera leonai._' And Slytherins, '_Transmorphus viperdae_.' Once you have transfigured your partner, allow them a few minutes in their animal body before chanting '_reversae transmorphus_' to reverse the transformation." The chalk finished writing the different spells on the board and McGonagall once again wielded her wand. "Now, watch the hand motion carefully." She demonstrated twice, had the class practice it for a moment, then demonstrated again. "All right, I believe you're ready. Listen up for your partners. No complaining, lest I decide to deduct house points."

Walking around the large classroom, she quickly paired people off. He wasn't really paying attention, instead focusing on praying to Merlin that his partner wasn't a totally incompetent idiot and would 'accidentally' blow him up instead of transfiguring him into a snake.

"Weasley, Brown." Ron looked relieved and stood up to join Lavender in her corner. As the red haired boy passed him, he glared, no doubt wishing he could punch him in the face. He merely rolled his eyes, unfazed. How Weasley ever made it into this class, he'd never know.

"Potter, Zabini." He snickered, watching his best mate rise stiffly and walk regally over to Harry Potter, a neutral expression on his face.

"Granger, seeing as there is only one person left alone, I think you're intelligent enough to know who you're partner is." And with that the old witch walked away, excusing herself out of the classroom to 'speak briefly with Dumbledore' about something urgent.

Hermione Granger rose to her feet, her face curled distastefully as she walked over to him. He groaned internally, of course he'd be stuck with _her_, of all people. With a drawn out sigh, he too got to his feet, pulling out his ebony wand from his robes.

"Hey."

His eyes snapped up to Granger, surprised she was speaking so calmly to him.

"Look, I know we don't get along, but our grades depend on each other. So please, could we keep this little interaction as civil as possible? A temporary truce?" Hermione held out her hand for him to shake and he hesitate for a moment.

_Eugh, mud- muggle-born germs..._ He groaned internally before pushing the thought aside and grasping her hand to shake. Her skin was surprisingly smooth and soft and warm, he noticed, and clean. Very clean. He quickly let go of her hand and muttered what sounded like 'deal' under his breath.

Granger grinned happily in response. "Thanks," She said, looking very appreciative. "So, I guess you can go first, if you like." Carefully pulling her wand out of her pocket, she set it gingerly on one of the desks, waiting for him to start the spell.

"All right." He raised his wand, going over the arm motion in his mind and glancing briefly at the board to make sure he was saying the correct spell. Surprisingly, Granger didn't look the least bit nervous.

"Transmorphus panthera leonai." He murmured confidently with a smirk. He watched as a faint golden glow enveloped Granger, a trail of golden magic springing from the tip of his wand to her body. Her features shifted, as did her clothes, melting and moving in a smooth and entrancing transformation. Not thirty seconds after casting the spell, Granger stood infront of him, a full-grown lioness. The only traces of the human Granger in the huge animal before him were the sparkling brown eyes and the curly brown tuft of fur at the end of her tail. Granger moved around a bit, her lean feline body pacing about the room as he watched her, arms by his side. He saw Potter and Weasley, both of them now lions, wrestling in a corner of the classroom. Weasley (he could tell by the lion's bright red mane) appeared larger, but Potter (the one with the shaggy black mane) looked like he was winning. With a floor-shaking roar, he saw his partner bound towards them, tackling them both to the floor.

He rolled his eyes and allowed the Trio to wrestle some more in peace. Looking across the room, he cataloged the other pairs' progress. One Ravenclaw managed to transfigure her Slytherin partner into what looked like a large earthworm, and some Hufflepuff in the center of the room had a tail, whiskers, and a black leather nose, but nothing more. He looked across to Blaise to see that he was all ready preoccupied; Potter had returned to his normal human state and was now pulling his wand from his pocket.

A soft, moist nose nudged his hand and he nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise. Granger had returned and was now sitting patiently in front of him, waiting for him to turn her back.

"Merlin Granger," He scowled, raising his wand, "Give me a bloody heart attack, why don't you! Reversae transmorphus."

Hermione laughed. "Sorry, but you were too busy day dreaming to realize I was there." She fixed her robes and picked up her want, looking at him expectantly. "Ready?"

He slipped his wand into his pocket and nodded.

"Transmorphus viperdae." Granger enunciated carefully, flicking her wand in the complex manner McGonagall had demonstrated.

A green glow surrounded him and he somewhat nervously waited for the transformation to begin. It was quite painless, he noticed, and in no time at all he was a large black serpent with a shiny, light blue underbelly. Testing his new body hesitantly, he looked around, adjusting to his weird new senses. Flicking his forked tongue out, he tasted the air, seeing that Granger had backed away from him. Once again tasting the air around him, he began to slither around, now thoroughly enjoying this experience as a snake. He could see Blaise across the room slithering up the table leg and hissed a laugh before continuing on his own way. He was so distracted by the experience, that he didn't even notice what was happening until it was too late.

Out of nowhere, two large pillars appeared, legs, he later realized. And attached to that pillar was a smooth, oblong, hard, _rock_. A shoe. And that rock attached to that pillar drew back and then sprung forward, nailing him in the skull and sending him flying across the room. Her heard something loud, a shout or a scream, but it could've just been the pain in his head.

_Flying across a classroom is almost exhilarating as flying on my broom_, he mused deliriously, but he had no time to think anything else for as soon as the thought had left his bewildered mind, he crashed headlong into the classroom wall with a sickening crack.

There was more shouting, all of it unintelligible noise, and his body slid slowly down the wall, curling into a limp pile on the floor. He had only just a few seconds to register a mass of heat rushing towards him, a body, but of who he did not know, before his world plunged into sweet obliterating darkness.

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**A/N: And so ends another chapter. C: Man guys, I'm on a roll. :D**

**Ten more reviews and I'll put up another chapter. And along with a new chapter, you'll also get a dilicious sundae. :D  
**


	9. She Thanks

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait, had exam week. xP Winter break's on now though, yay free time. :D But um... yes. I'll try and get another chapter up on Christmas day as a sort of present. C: Maybe even two, if the mojo's flowing.

Thank you so much everyone for the lovely reviews. Sundaes to Bozu, Lya Darkfury, Terry Dactyl, Haruki Riku, GirlMarauderJonas, TJ Binxs, HINTS Lover, Nightraze, x-hermalfoy, Pienky, Starfire54, xSweetAshesx, , sarabara, EssenceofPhlegm, darling draco., xlinzx, aphrodite100, and Yume Ninja.

After the next chapter this story will be moving a smidgen faster. C: Just in case you were wondering.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Obviously.

* * *

She was sitting in an uncomfortable hospital wing chair and had been for an hour or two now. _Hogwarts: A History_ lay closed in her lap and a pile of school-things (his school-things) lay neatly on the ground next to the bed. Her eyes settled on the floor as she heaved a sigh. There had been numerous misfortunes in Transfiguration class, but today... She looked at his unconscious body laying peacefully on the starch white bed, bandaged, bruised, broken... but alive.

She had witnessed the entire thing as if in slow motion from across the room. She saw him transform and slither elegantly across the floor, saw Ronald Weasley - her face burned with anger at the thought of him - approach him and kick his serpentine body across the room. She heard the screams about the flying snake, heard the crack of his bones breaking upon impact with the wall and saw him slide to the ground in a limp, graceful heap. True, she should hate him, should be happy at the occurrence, felt some sort of satisfaction at his pain... but she had no control of her body for some reason. Before she knew she was across the classroom kneeling beside him. The rest of the class was in chaos and she quickly took control of the situation. Blaise Zabini looked about ready to murder Ron, who look smug and proud, but a quick deduction of seventy-five house points from Gryffindor by her had him sulking. Zabini at her side, she transfigured the broken snake into the man it was supposed to be and hat to choke back the bile in her throat as she saw the damage. Even Ron seemed a bit surprised at the seriousness of his injuries, which looked minimal on the body of a snake, but sickening on the body of a man. Seething with silent anger, she quickly levitated his body, and, with Zabini, ran him to the hospital wing. Madame Pomphrey was horrified at the condition he was in and saw to his injuries immediately while Zabini explained the situation. She had stalked back to the transfiguration classroom to find a furious McGonogall already there, demanding to know what had happened while she was talking to Dumbledore. Ignoring Ron's pleading glances, she launched into the story, not overlooking a single grim detail. Ron's face was white as a sheet by the time she was finished and McGonogall's face was set in a stony mask. She dismissed everyone except Ron to dinner and the entire class filed out in a somber mood. Sure, he may have helped the famous Harry Potter win the war against Voldemort, but he was still an ass and some wounds he had caused ran deep. But even so, he did not deserve to be punted across the room by Ronald Weasley as a defenseless snake.

In the Great Hall, she sat stoically with Harry Potter, he looked conflicted at her. Ron was his best mate and he didn't like that Slytherin any more than anyone else, but... Everyone else in the class reciprocated his feelings and did not hesitate to spread the news. Not ten minutes into dinner had passed before the entire school was murmuring about the happenings in the advanced transfiguration class. The Great Hall was alive with the whispers. And then a certain Ron Weasley had walked through the doors and the whole school went silent. His face was redder than his maroon tie and his entire being emanated animosity. He stormed angrily up to her and all hell broke loose. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had never seen such a brawl as this. The entire Hall echoed with their shouts of indignation and not even the teachers dared interfere in the argument.

She scowled darkly at the thought and looked over once again at his motionless body. Or... it had been motionless until a few moments ago. He was stirring, though only slightly, and a deep groan slipped past his lips. His light eyes opened slowly, taking in his surroundings, before landing heavily on her.

"What are you doing here?"

His voice was raspy and sore-sounding. She hesitated, getting to her feet and nibbling on her lip.

"After... you know... I helped transport you here." She murmured, approaching his bedside, feeling slightly awkward as his cold eyes seemed to burn into her. "Zabini was here as well," She continued hurriedly, "But Madame Pomphrey sent him off about an hour ago."

He didn't say anything and continued to stare at her. After a few moments it seemed like he had accepted what she said. He moved slightly to sit up and get more comfortable and another pained groan came from his throat.

"What happened?"

A fire seemed to come into her eyes and she explained in a heated tone. "That- That- That Ronald Weasley! He kicked you across the room, at least twenty-five feet, maybe more! You hit the opposite wall maybe six feet off the ground and slid to the floor. When Zabini and I reached you you were unconscious. I transfigured you back and brought you here. Zabini stayed to explain things to Madame Pomphrey and I went back to class."

He chuckled darkly without humor. "Yes, that feels about right."

He was still staring intensely at her and she was slightly uncomfortable at his gaze. "According to Madame Pomphrey," She said slowly, getting closer to his bed, "You broke your spine in two places, broke three ribs, and received a concussion."

"That explains this bloody headache."

"Your head hurts? Here... Madame Pomphrey said to give you this in case you woke up... She said it's for the pain." She turned around and picking up a dark green bottle from the bedside table, pouring a fair amount of bright yellow liquid into a glass and handing it too him. "It'll probably make you drowsy as well."

He silently reached for the glass and as it passed from hand to hand their fingers brushed briefly. He took a sip, scowled, then downed the rest of the glass, giving it back to her.

"Your hands." He stated plainly, "They're cold."

She shrugged, putting the bottle and glass away. "I've been sitting here a while." She admitted, meeting his gaze. "The Hospital Wing is quite chilly."

"How long?

"... An hour or two, give or take."

Silence. His face remained the same as he absorbed this information.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you stay so long?" He stared intently at her, searching for an answer.

"Well..." She didn't know. Why did she stay with him? He meant nothing to her. He had made her first five years at Hogwarts hell. He had constantly tormented her. He always put her down. She should hate him. She shouldn't be here. _No._ A small voice in her mind said. _No. That's not right._

She stared at him and he stared at her. Silence stretched between them for what felt like years. His cold, sharp eyes searched hers for an answer, and explanation, and her own fiery gaze withheld the truth, enigmatic in the way that they swirled with knowledge.

Silently she walked up close to his bedside and smiled mysteriously down at him. "Because," She said finally, quietly, "What Ronald did was wrong, regardless of what you had done beforehand." She paused for a moment, reaching out to plump his pillow in an almost matronly manner. Backing away carefully she murmured a continuation, almost an afterthought. "And no matter what happened in the past... no matter what happened... no one deserves to be alone."

Something flickered across his face but before she could register what it was it was gone.

"You should probably catch up on your rest now. You'll heal faster. The potion will help with that." She nodded her goodbye to the injured man with a small, reassuring smile and turned gracefully on her heel to leave the Hospital Wing. Just as she reached the door, he called out to her, so softly she almost missed it.

"Hey... wait."

She turned around and looked inquisitively at him.

He looked rather uncomfortable and awkward, seeming to struggle to find the proper words. "I just want to say... thanks. You know... For helping me. And for staying with me." He pursed his lips, eyes guarded.

Her smile widened. "Don't mention it. And thank you."

He looked slightly surprised. "For what?"

"For not calling me mudblood; for growing up a tiny bit." And with those final words she swept out of the Wing.

.-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-.

She signed onto her H.I.N.T.S. book later, after getting a head start on all of her homework and studying for her NEWTS for a few hours. Angrily scanning the page, she was slightly dissappointed that no one else was on as well. Well... that was to say no one she actually wanted to talk to. Tapping Ron's bold H.I.N.T.S. name (ChuddleyKeeper) she transferred it swiftly to the ignore list. With a disgruntled sigh, she was just about to close the small leather bound book when she saw a familiar name in bold at the bottom of the list. She was just about to tap it and send a message, but they seemed to read her mind, sending her a simple message before she could.

**Deviation**

Hey

**Incandescence**

Hey

**Deviation**

So... I gave what you said a try today.

**Incandescence**

And?

**Deviation**

And... it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Was kind of interesting I guess.

**Incandescence**

How so?

**Deviation**

Well... I don't know. I mean... I didn't know that just cutting the word mudblood out of my vocabulary would really make that much of a difference. Really didn't think some people would appreciate it as much as they did. I just... I don't know.

**Incandescence**

Yeah. It really makes a difference to some people. It's just a word, but the thoughts behind the word are degrading and hurtful. I'm glad you're cutting it out of your vocabulary. Good for you.

**Deviation**

Heh.. yeah.

Sensing the end of the conversation and unwilling to carry it any further, she prepared herself for bed. Slipping her slippers off of her feet and pulling on her nightshirt, she tied back her thick hair with an elastic band and slipped under the covers of her large king-sized bed. Reaching for her H.I.N.T.S. book, she saw that he left another message.

**Deviation**

Hey...

**Deviation**

Are you okay?

She instinctively replied defensively.

**Incandescence**

What makes you think that I'm not.

**Deviation**

Something seems off with you. Your replies are short, clipped, somewhat cold. Not that it bothers me, but it seems unusual for you. Usually you're chatty and passionate and shit. And the last thing I need right now is you being pissed and ignoring me for another week or two and bringing my grade down.

**Incandescence**

How observant and straightforward of you.

**Deviation**

One of my better qualities.

**Incandescence**

I'm sure.

**Deviation**

See?

**Incandescence**

See what?

**Deviation**

Short. Clipped. Cold.

She frowned and narrowed her eyes at the page.

**Deviation**

So?

**Incandescence**

So what?

He wrote slowly in response, as if she was slow, his print painfully clear as he made sure to make each letter distinct and neat so that she could not mistake the question.

**Deviation**

Are you okay?

She paused, quill millimeters away from the page. The quill shuddered and angry tears formed in her eyes as she clenched her jaw, willing them away. Her willpower finally broke and she gave in, allowing the salty liquid to spill quietly over her eyelids.

**Incandescence**

No.

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**A/N:** I love reviews. ;~; Review and you'll get a caffeinated beverage of your choice?


	10. He Comforts

**A/N : HOLY SHIT OVER 100 REVIEWS.**

**I love you all. ;~;**

**Sorry for the wait guys. A little over 3000 words, and I wrote this all in one sitting so please excuse all the typos and grammar errors. Tell me where they are and I'll fix them ASAP.**

**Caffeine yummies to my amazing reviewers who areeeeee Blossomgirl94, Pienky, iilovefallingstars, Starfire54, sarabara, Bozu, akiismarina, Lya Darkfury, Darling Draco., kama674, Yume Ninja, xlinzx, SilverJellicle, Britty1024, Simply Maria, kaitward, Daydreaming Nightwalker, kat0350, nightraze, Maximum Ride Freak, and GirlMarauderJonas.**

**Replies are now at the bottom of the chapters. C:**

**Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to iilovefallingstars for her extremely kind review. C: Thank you, really made me feel good about my writing.  
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**Disclaimer: DISCLAIMMMMMMMMMM.**

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The hospital wing was dark and quiet. As far as he knew he was the only patient, but, even so, he made sure that curtains around his bead were drawn. He was tired, exhausted almost, but restless.

After she had left earlier that day, he had fallen into a fitful slumber. When he awoke hours had passed and the night sky was dark and inky. After taking a few minutes to stretch his sore body and ensure that his bones had healed properly he settled back into his bed, attempting to go back to sleep. He rested on his side. No sleep. On his other side. No sleep. On his stomach. No sleep. On his back. No sleep. Not a wink. With an exasperated exclamation he glared at the ceiling, coming to terms with the fact that he wouldn't be sleeping all that much tonight.

With a sigh, he succumbed to his whirlwind of thoughts.

Thanks to the potion she had given him, he had fallen asleep mere moments after she had left him and had been unable to think about what had occurred. But now that he had woken up, the thoughts swirled around his mind and he was quite sure that he would be unable to fall back asleep until he had figured everything out.

Figure everything out.

What was there to figure out?

Well, that odd feeling in the bottom of his gut, for one. He knew for sure that it had nothing to do with his injuries, and so the only other cause would be his H.I.N.T.S. conversations and his visit from her.

Ever since he was a wee lad, his father had been his idol. Everything his father did was right. Everything his father said was true. He had approved of everything his father approved of, hated everything his father hated, ridiculed everything his father ridiculed, believed everything his father believed. And he did it all without question, without thought. Even when he grew older, his father's word was the only one that mattered to him and he sought for nothing more than to make his father proud. And if that meant upholding the pureblood ideology then so be it.

According to his father, purebloods were superior to everyone. If you weren't pureblood, you weren't worth the mud on the bottom of one's shoe. Yet his family, one of the oldest and purest lines in all of Britain, had followed, had _worshiped_, a halfblood. (At least until they had realized, halfway through the war, that there was no chance of said halfblood winning and had switched sides, becoming spies for the Order of the Phoenix.) A halfblood who was defeated by a wizard who hadn't even completed his magical education, who was less than half his age. Voldemort, supposedly the greatest wizard of all time, was defeated by a bunch of sixteen and seventeen year-olds with a simple disarming spell they had learned in their first year at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord had fallen to a halfblood, a mudblood, and a blood-traitor.

Purebloods were superior. Mudbloods and the like were stupid creatures, not worthy of the magic they possess, too idiotic and naive to know how to wield it properly. But if that was true, what explained Hermione Mudblood Granger? If she was so inferior, how did she manage to best him in every subject despite how much he studied. How did she beat his marks without even seeming to try? If she was so lowly and stupid, how was it that she was considered the brightest witch of her age, how was it that it was _her_ plan that helped defeat Voldemort.

Mudbloods were uncultured, rude, disgusting, immature, without feelings, and uncaring. Yet it was a mudblood who had done what none of his pureblood friends would have done, save his best mate Blaise Zabini. It was a mudblood who overlooked years of him tormenting her and assisted him in his time of need, even watching over him for _hours_ as he lay unconscious. Not even his own father would have stayed with him, would have cared about him enough to sit and wait for him, and yet his pureblood father was more mature and caring than the mudblood he had tortured for six years. He should have been thanking her profusely, she could've very well saved his goddamn life! But no. No, it was _she _who said thank you. It was she who had _thanked_ him after years of torment for the smallest of things. For not calling her that one word. Mudblood.

It was all wrong. Everything was wrong and stupid and backwards. And he hated it. He hated how now that he thought about it, nothing made sense. He hated that for _years_ he had accepted beliefs that were, for lack of a better description, complete bullshit. And he had done it without a second thought. And it was stupid, everything was complete _bullshit_, and it made him feel stupid, and how he _hated_ feeling stupid. It made him angry. He had been playing the part of the fool for the better part of seven years and he hadn't even known it. All because of his father. Everything his father had taught him had been the foundation in his life and now that that foundation was cracking, everything came crumbling down. The walls he had built around himself came crumbling down to reveal something new, something better, and for the first time in a long while he felt free. It was like the walls had blocked out the light and had cast his world in shadow and now that they were gone everything was painfully clear.

Everything he had known was bullshit.

Well... not everything.

Incandescence. What she had said wasn't bullshit. It was the truth. And the truth was refreshing.

He laughed humorlessly and shook his head. Everything was clearer to him now and his mind was at ease. But while his mind was clear, he couldn't help but feel irritated, annoyed, angry. He had idolized his father for his entire life and now he couldn't help but loathe him.

That girl, Golden Night's Dream, Incandescence, whoever the hell she was, had opened his eyes. And for first time in a long time he was thankful.

Mind set on expressing his gratitude, he reached over the side of his bed for his H.I.N.T.S. book. It was fairly late at night, but he saw no harm in checking to see if she was on. She was.

A slight smirk on his face, he greeted her. Not wanting to be over-enthusiastic, he calmly spoke about his day, leaving out his little transfiguration mishap. As she continued to reply, however, his smirk faded away into a frown. He didn't know what to expect from her, but he had anticipated a little more... excitement at his change of heart. Her usually passionate and charismatic replies were bland and emotionless. Something was up with her, that much he could tell, and his curiosity, gratitude, and newly found conscience compelled him to find out what.

After a few moments of back and forth messaging, she finally admitted to being troubled and he couldn't help but smirk in triumph.

**_Deviation :_**

_All right then, now we're getting somewhere. What's wrong?_

_**Incandescence :**  
_

_I don't know... just stupid arguments with my friends I guess._

**_Deviation :_**

_Ah._

The subject was a newly sore one for him. His only true (he internally shuddered at how corny and feminine it sounded) friend was Zabini, and the two had never gotten into any rows. He was ill-experienced in this field. Still, he encouraged her to continue.

**_Deviation :_**

_Well, what happened?_

_**Incandescence :**_

_It's just... GRAH!_

Grah...? He questioned, confused. A moment passed and he was about to voice his confusion when a mass of text attacked the page.

_**Incandescence :**_

_Sometimes my friend can be so stupid and irritating! I mean honestly! The man's seventeen years old and has the maturity level of a toddler! Yes, I helped out a member of an opposing house, but how does that make me a traitor?! Just because I have some morals! I wouldn't have needed to assist anyone if he could've just acted his age and hadn't caused the problem in the first place! What he did was appalling! I knew it, his best mate knew it, everyone in the entire school knew it! And yet I'm a traitor. UGH. Insufferable! And he has the nerve to publicly embarrass me in front of all of my friends and attack me and shout at me?! And then he corners me in the common room and resumes to yell at me for landing him in detention and almost getting him suspended when I didn't do anything! And then my other friend tried to calm him down, but he turned on him as well, saying that he always sided with me and complete nonsense like that. They're best mates so of course my other friend tried to apologize and calm him down, but that just spurred him on. I hate this. I hate him!_

He swallowed dryly. He was never good with comforting people and the whole... emotion deal.

**_Deviation :_**

_I'm sorry. Spurred him on how? What did he say?_

_**Incandescence :**_

_Instead of calming down like a sensible person would, he just continued to rant and rave! Saying how even my other friend felt that his actions were justified and that he was right and I was wrong and that I was a traitor. He's always had a terrible temper, and I know I shouldn't take what he says to heart, but still... It shouldn't hurt, but it does. And I hate that. I hate that feeling of weakness._

**_Deviation :_**

_What did he say?_

There was a pause in her writing and he took this moment to observe her text. He noted how her usually neat script had become slightly erratic and messy with her emotions and also notice a large blotchy smudge in her last message as if some liquid had spilled onto her writing. He frowned. She was crying? His frown deepened when she replied and he realized that the blotchy smudges persisted throughout her message.

_**Incandescence :**_

_Called me a traitor. Said that I always thought I was better than everyone just because of my intelligence. That I was a killjoy and just spoiled everyone elses fun and had no sense of humor which is why I don't have many friends. He said that even one of my best friends would rather side with him over me because they couldn't stand me. That I was stuck up and obnoxious and that people didn't like being around me. Told me that I treated books better than I treated people. He said that it was no surprise that I barely had any friends._

_**Incandescence :**_

_Heh... It was like first year all over again._

He didn't know what to say and felt it best to just let her rant.

_**Incandescence :**_

_And the entire time I tried to defend myself, my other best friend just stood there. I understand they're best mates but I couldn't help but feel... abandoned... I guess the reason it bothers me so much is because parts of it are true. I don't have many friends. I do feel more comfortable around books. What he said makes me doubt myself and I hate that. When people look at me is that all they see? An ugly stuck up bookworm? A loner? Is that why my two best friends are guys and haven't made any other real friends since first year? Is that why nobody likes me?_

_**Incandescence :**_

_And it doesn't help that I'm all ready self-conscious. Everyone thinks I'm always so confident. Ha! A muggleborn thrust into a world of magic. I knew I would be the underdog at school when I was a first year. I knew that things would be harder for me than for children who had grown up with magic. So I promised myself that I'd do the best, that I'd be the best I could possibly be. That I'd show everyone that a mugglborn could be just as gifted as anyone else. Learning is what I'm good at, books are what I know. When I was younger it was hard for me, a nerdy bookworm, to make friends and to fit in. It was hard for me to talk to people and be social without being awkward. And it still is. And just being reminded of that by my best fried..._

She paused again, regaining her composure he guessed.

_**Incandescence :**_

_Look, sorry about dumping all of my problems on you. None of it makes any sense, most likely. I dunno, I got carried away, and it helps to just let out it, I guess. So thanks for listening. You didn't have to and I appreciate it._

**_Deviation :_**

_Don't worry about it. It's what this whole pen pal thing is for. But um... yeah, don't listen to what that guy said to you, regardless if he's your best friend or not. What he said to you is completely idiotic and isn't true in the slightest. Don't second guess yourself, just be you. Don't let what he said influence you, just ignore it and do your own thing._

The words came awkwardly from his H.I.N.T.S. pen; advice didn't come easily from him and he wasn't sure if what he was saying was helpful in the slightest. Still feeling obliged to make her feel better and payout his debt to her, he continued on.

**_Deviation :_**

_Just... I don't know... feel better? Look... you doing anything tomorrow?_

He couldn't believe he was about to do this.

_**Incandescence :**_

_... No, it's Saturday._

**_Deviation :_**

_Okay. Right, meet me in the courtyard by the fountain at noon tomorrow. We'll do something and cheer you up some and take your mind off of your idiot 'friends'. Should probably keep the whole anonymous thing going on, so transfigure your features or something so I don't know who you are. I'll do the same._

_**Incandescence :**_

_I don't know..._

**_Deviation :_**

_Oh c'mon, it'll be fun._

_**Incandescence :**_

_... What'll we be doing?_

**_Deviation :_**

_Surprise._

She didn't answer.

**_Deviation :_**

_C'mon, you know you want to_

_**Incandescence :**_

_Oh fine, I'll be there._

**_Deviation :_**

_Haha knew you couldn't resist me_

_**Incandescence :**_

_Ego much? xD_

**_Deviation :_**

_You know you love it_

_**Incandescence :**_

_XD It's late and I'm getting tired. Gonna go to bed._

**_Deviation :_**

_Haha same._

_**Incandescence :**_

_Hey... Thanks again. For cheering me up and stuff. Just... thanks. :]_

**_Deviation :_**

_Heh, don't worry about it._

_**Incandescence :**_

_Night_

**_Incandescence has signed off_**

Logging off as well, he slowly shut his H.I.N.T.S. book. Slipping the book back into his bag, he laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. He couldn't help but smile faintly as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N : Hope you guys liked the chapter. Review for a nice chicken sandwich? :c **

**Reply time**

**britty1024: Thank you! :D Yeah, that's a pet peeve of mine. xD;; I see all these fanfics with phones and computers and such without any real explaination of how they got there and why/how they work etc. I figured I'd try something slightly different for this fic. c:**

**xlinzx: That's something that constantly worries me with this fic. I try not to make everything move too quickly, but I don't want it to drag so slowly that it becomes tedious. Hopefully this chapter helps bridge the gap a little bit and explains for the some of the swiftness? Thank you. :D**

**SilverJellicle: Dramione is my favorite HP pairing, I must admit. Cx;; I'm glad you like it and thank you for the wonderful review! -hands tea-**


	11. They Meet

**A/N :** Nearly 5000 words, hopefully the length makes up for the amount of time it took to get this chapter out.

Not feeling so great right now.

This story is almost done. I have about four or five chapters planned until it's finished. I do have an idea for a sequel though... Just taking an interest check: If I wrote a sequel to this story, would you read it?

Replies at the end of the chapter.

**Disclaimer :** Disclaimed.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning she felt refreshed and relaxed. The sun was streaming happily through her chamber windows and it looked like it would be a lovely day. She stayed motionless in her bed for a few moments, an easy smile on her face, before taking a moment to stretch and then slide out of her bed. With a yawn she stretched again and then took a moment to glance at her clock. Ten. That gave her more than enough time to get ready.

In all honesty, she had almost entirely forgotten her row with her friends, her mind completely preoccupied with the day to come. She was quite curious what this surprise would be, and, as she changed out of her night clothes into some comfortable day clothes, she dedicated her thoughts to figuring it out. Her efforts were fruitless, however, and she quickly gave up, instead directing all of her attention to the task at hand: altering her appearance.

With a critical sigh, she examined her reflection in the large mirror in her room, searching her reflection for a source of inspiration. She was fairly pleased with what she saw. She hadn't 'blossomed' magically over the summer like many of her year were quick to think; no, she had developed at a steady pace throughout the years, her curves hidden underneath her baggy robes. She, unlike a certain Pansy Parkinson and other nameless female students, was not inclined to magically alter he clothing to be more form fitting and revealing. No. She was not at the school to flash, flirt with, or show off her body to the immature male population. She was here to learn. To be the best. And being the best did not require miniskirts, flashy makeup, or six inch heels.

Even though she didn't change all that much over the summer physically (besides growing an inch or two, to her pleasure), she did change slightly in the mental aspect of recognizing her femininity. After seeing the boy she liked thoroughly snogging a distant 'friend' of hers, she realized that just because boys weren't the main focus of her education didn't mean that it would do any harm to tidy herself up a bit and turn a few heads.

It was surprisingly easy to reach the desire affect. A bit of research on curly hair care, a quick trim, a thorough brushing, and a bit of hair care product later, her usually bushy mane of hair was tamed. It was still massive and thick, a mane any lion would envy, but it was no longer matted and frizzy, the chocolate curls now defined and smooth and glossy. A little bit of makeup also worked wonders. She didn't cake of several layers like that- that _tart _Lavender Brown did. No, she didn't quite find her face melting in the hot sun desirable. So her makeup was always light, just a tiny bit to emphasize her best features: a bit of eyeliner, some lip balm or gloss, sometimes even blush if she felt up to it. She also recognized that her robes and school uniform was more conservative than a nun's, and, with a graceful flick of her wand, made the baggy and ill-fitted clothing more comfortable and more flattering to her form.

Little changes. Tiny, almost insignificant changes, that made a world of difference when it came to the attention given to her by her classmates. She hadn't changed, all it had taken was a minuscule amount of elbow grease to perfect an all ready pristine ruby.

So, when people, especially boys and people who called themselves her friends, said that she had really 'blossomed' over the summer, she couldn't help but sigh in dissatisfaction. Were people really that unobservant? So much that her own 'friends' hadn't realized the changes that had occurred with her over the years until it was painfully obvious? In a strange way, it stung.

And so when she gazed in her reflection in the mirror, she was somewhat hesitant to change it. She liked her hair, her eyes, her figure. She favored her height, her clothes, and her skin tone. All previous doubts about herself were non-exsistant. She liked who she was right now and she didn't want to change it, not even for a secret meeting with her pen-pal, a person she didn't even (really) know.

_Well..._ she thought logically, _there's an idea in itself. Deviation... he's obviously expecting me to change my appearance, right? So wouldn't it be the safest to go as myself? I mean, he specifically asked me to change my looks, so he won't be expecting my **looks** to actually be **my** appearance. Therefore, going as myself would probably through him off a bit when it comes to trying to figure out who I am. It makes perfect sense! He'll see me, think that it's my appearance that's being mimicked by me, so won't think that I'm actually me. Brilliant!_

With a wide grin she set her wand down on her dresser and grabbed a nearby book, settling onto her bed to read for a while until it was time for her to go.

.:-------------:.

Her eyes immediately searched the courtyard as she stepped out of the castle that was her home for almost nine months of the year.

She had departed from her quarters only twenty or twenty-five minutes ago, making the long trek from the Heads' tower to the ground floor in record time. She had sighed in relief when she discovered the Head Boy wasn't lounging about in the common room; he'd have surely given her trouble and made her late. However... she had begun to notice that the Head Boy was acting rather odd... rather... civil. Not that she was complaining, it was just out of character for the usually cold, rude, and demeaning Head Boy to treat her almost politely, almost as if he considered her... an equal. It was odd, but she didn't spend more than a moment thinking of it. She was preoccupied thinking about the day to come. It was a good thing that the corridors were relatively empty, for she would have surely run into more than a few people with all the day-dreaming she was doing.

Perhaps while... hanging out... No, that didn't sound right, not to her. They weren't just 'hanging out'. Hanging out was for casual buddies. He barely knew her yet had seriously comforted her in her time of- oh goodness, how she hated to admit such a wimpy, feminine, fairy tale thing -need, and then had asked her out on a... date? It wasn't a date, was it? _Well, it sort of is._ She reasoned with herself. _I mean I'll be alone, and he'll be alone, and we'll be alone... together. And we'll be doing something he planned out to cheer me up, a surprise, and we'll be doing whatever he planned out alone together. Right. Right... So that doesn't make it a date, does it?_

She had no more time to dedicate to her whirling thoughts, instead focusing on finding her... not-date. The day was favorable, the blue sky unmarred by a single wispy cloud, the sun bright and warm. The air was generally still, with only an occasional weak breath of breeze to blow the curls from her eager face.

It was not difficult to spot her target; the courtyard was entirely empty besides him and her. Even so, she was slightly hesitant to approach. What if it wasn't Deviation? What if Deviation was running a smidge late and it was just some other student who was relaxing outside? What if it wasn't him and she said hey and made a total fool of herself? She wished forlornly that they had agreed on some... secret word or something to identify each other with.

A moment later she couldn't help but feel slightly ridiculous at her thoughts. Why on earth was she so nervous?!

Pushing away her out of character timid thoughts, she confidently made her way towards the familiar white-blond head. She couldn't help but notice the irony in the situation; the person she was most anxious to meet at the moment just so happened to have transfigured his features to appear like one of her worst rivals.

"Clever of you to make yourself look like Draco Malfoy."

He whirled around, obviously startled by her sudden presence. The shock on his face quickly snapped to the cold, emotionless mask she often associated with Malfoy, but as he took in her own appearance his features softened into a smirk.

"I could say the same to you." His voice was soft and deep, much unlike the rather high pitched, irritating, somewhat nasally voice she had come to recognize Malfoy by.

She blushed slightly before grinning and shrugging modestly. "Transfiguration?"

"Eh... Sort of." He rose from his seated position on the fountain's edge and grabbed something from the ledge. "A more advanced form of the polyjuice potion."

"Impolym?"

He grinned cheekily in response and began to walk away, throwing a casual 'you coming?' over his shoulder at her.

"But that's banned at Hogwarts!" She protested, racing after him. His legs were long and she had to work a bit to keep up. "How did you manage to get a hold of it?"

It was his turn to shrug. "I had to visit the Hospital Wing for a quick fix-me-up. Pomphrey left for a while to get some food from the kitchens and while she was gone I nicked it from her store-cupboards."

She rolled her eyes disapprovingly but didn't comment on his thieving ways. "Why would Madame Pomphrey have have a potion like that, why not Snape?"

He looked at her strangely. "I don't know, I don't really ask old people about their storage habits."

She couldn't help but let out a small laugh before lapsing into a comfortable silence. She took the pause in conversation to examine him from the corner of her eye. If anything was true, Draco Malfoy certainly had grown up over the years. She snickered to herself; if anyone had 'blossomed' over the summer, it was the youngest Malfoy. He wasn't the small, scrawny, shrimpy little boy she had grown up loathing. No, he had definitely grown into his own. He wasn't as buff and largely muscled as Seamus or a certain Blaise Zabini, but the firm muscles of his arms and the broadness of his shoulders were nothing to laugh at. If she had to categorize him, she would say that he most resembled a runner; his build was tall and lean and firm. Probably from all those years of Quidditch.

She must've been staring for a long time or had been staring in a less than discreet manner, for his soft voice jarred her from her scrutiny.

"What're you staring at?" He didn't sound cold or angry, merely curious.

"Of all the people in Hogwarts you could've transformed into, you chose Malfoy?"

Something flashed in his eyes, but before she could identify it, it disappeared and he chuckled. "What can I say? I felt like being sexy for the day."

She laughed right along with him. Giving her surroundings a brief once over, she discovered she still had no clue as to what the surprise for the day was going to be. "So what're we doing today?"

"Where do people go when they have this?" He stopped and looked at her incredulously, holding out what he had grabbed from the fountain's ledge when he had first stood up.

It was a broom.

As in a broomstick.

As in the flying type.

Not the safe, muggle, sweeping broom.

Oh, no.

It was a broom.

She felt faint. "You're joking, right?" She managed to squeak out, wide-eyed.

He raised a fair brow at her. "Nope." He continued walking.

That's why she couldn't recognize her surroundings! They were heading towards the _Quidditch pitch_! The one place that she undisputedly avoided above all else like the plague.

"B-b-but!" She spluttered, jogging after him. "We can't go _flying_!"

"And why not?" He replied, sounding somewhat amused.

"Because!" She declared indignantly.

He chuckled, a low rumble that sent curious tingles up her spine. "Because?"

They were now standing feet away from one of the many entrances to the Quidditch pitch and he was looking at her expectantly. Through the entrance she could see that the Quidditch Pitch, like the rest of the school, seemed to be deserted.

She pursed her lips, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and avoided his gaze. "Idunnohow." She murmured under her breath.

He stared at her. "Pardon?"

She sighed and looked up at him sheepishly. "Flying. I don't know how to."

"Seriously?"

"... Yeah."

He looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.

"I thought, y'know," he snickered, "that all first years had flying classes?"

She huffed. "Those classes were optional _after_ first year! I don't know... I just never learned how. The broom never listened to me. I can't fly." She had looked away by this time, feeling rather down. Here she was thinking that this was going to be a grand day, yet she had accidentally ruined it with her lack of skill. Exhaling unhappily, she looked up and opened her mouth to apologize for ruining their day when she noted his expression with surprise. Emotion looked odd on the face of Draco Malfoy, especially after being in numerous classes every year with him and getting used to the stony mask that wore. But the expression wasn't just odd, it was also uplifting in an abstract way. The body of Draco Malfoy was looking at her with fierce determination spread across his face.

"Well then today I'm teaching you to fly."

She flushed and tried to explain better, obviously he wasn't understanding what she was saying. "No, no, you don't understand. I'm more likely to _kill myself_ while in the presence of a broomstick than to float two inches off the ground. Me plus flying equals a health hazard to avoid at all costs. I'm unteachable! My best friends are Quidditch _fanatics_ and even they can't teach me."

He scoffed. "They must be really shitty teachers then. There's no such thing as 'unteachable'. If you've got the will, you can do it. Now quit your bitchin' and let's go." He accompanied his last statement with a grin, and, even though she had a bad feeling about this in the pit of her stomach, she complied with his demands.

The large stadium was empty, the pitch nearly echoing with dead silence. The six large metal hoops glinted in the sunlight and the flags on top of the stands fluttered faintly in the sporadic breeze. Deviation had thrown his broom over his shoulder and was walking towards center field. She followed him hesitantly. The grass was lush and green under her feet and reminded her of golfer's grass or maybe even American football turf from the muggle world. Now she could imagine why people enjoyed playing Quidditch so much. She could only just imagine the thrill of being in the middle of this huge field, having thousands of people cheer you on. It must be exhilarating.

They were now in the center of the large stadium and while she was busy examining her surrounds, he had mounted his broom. With a slightly impatient clear of his throat he captured her attention. She merely stared at him with wide eyes.

He sighed and beckoned her forwards. "Come here." He spoke gently to her and reached out a pale hand towards her.

Hesitantly she walked over to him, taking his hand in hers. It was surprisingle warm to the touch. She had associated Malfoy with coldness and had almost thought that perhaps even his skin would be cold as well. It was a silly thought, but it seemed justified in her mind. She tried to hide her surprise, thinking about it logically. Of course his hand would be warm, Draco Malfoy _was_ human after all. Even if he did act like a cruel little demon. The thought surprised and disgusted her. _I chastise him for acting all high and mighty, yet here I am being just as judgmental._

"Good job, only took you about to hours." He commented with a light, sarcastic tone, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She grinned at him sheepishly. "Sorry, bit nervous is all." She apologized, glancing warily at the broomstick.

"Don't worry about it," he said, pulling her closer, "I won't let you fall. Now come a bit closer. A little more. Little more. Look, you can't get on the bloody broom from three feet away. There we go! Now, swing your leg over... No, you don't want to be facing backwards. Other way. Yeah. There you go!"

After a good seven minutes of fumbling, her face was a dark cherry red. She was properly mounted on the broom with him sitting right behind her.

"Now here. Take your hand-" he took one of her hands in his, "-and hold the handle like so." He placed her hand on the smooth wood and kept his hand covering hers. "Now take your other hand-" He gently grabbed her free hand with his other hand, "-and put it like so." Now she was holding the broom on her own with his hands placed securely over hers.

She was painfully aware of how close they were. She had never been this close to a boy, not even in fourth year with her date to the Yule Ball, and she was blushing furiously. And it didn't make her feel any more comfortable that the body of the man that was sitting behind her with his large, long-fingered hands was that of Draco _sodding_ Malfoy. If her two friends saw her now they'd probably have a heart attack.

"Relax." He ordered calmly in her ear, sending tremors through her body. She tried to comply.

"Good. Now I'll kick us off gently. Lean forwards to go faster, lean backwards to slow down or stop. Angle the broom to go in that direction. If you want to go higher, pull up slightly on the handle. If you want to go lower, angle to handle down a tiny bit. You'll have to use your weight as well, but not very much. Once we get in the air, you'll understand what I mean."

She trembled and listened intently.

"You ready?"

She couldn't find the courage to speak, instead nodding her head up and down hesitantly.

"Okay. On the count of three. One..."

Maybe there was still time for her to back out. Surely she could jump off and he wouldn't do anything to stop her? But his hands _were_ holding her to the broom rather firmly...

"Two..."

She was too young to die!

"Three."

The words had barely left his lips before she cringed and slammed her eyes shut, her entire body tensing up. _I'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadie!_ That single thought ran through her head for what seemed like hours. She heard a soft chuckle in her ear.

"You're not going to die, I've got you."

Oh. She said that out loud? How embarrassing...

"Open your eyes."

_How did he know they were closed...?_

She shook her head furiously, quaking where she sat. Her entire body was tense and she was holding the broom's handle in a death-like vice.

He heaved a sigh. When he next spoke she nearly jumped out of her skin. He was so close that his warm breath tickled her ear.

"It's okay. Just open your eyes. I have you; I won't let you fall. Open your eyes."

She swallowed dryly, a croaky 'okay' quaking from her lips. With a small whimper she slowly opened her eyes.

And promptly yelped and nearly fell off the broom. They must've been a hundred feet in the air!!! If his strong arms hadn't been wrapped securely around her, she would have undoubtedly plummeted to her death. She felt his chest vibrate with laughter.

"Don't look down, look up."

A strangled squeak tore from her throat as she jerkily raised her eyes from the ground to the sky. And this time she gasped quietly. It was so beautiful! The were facing the Black Lake and she could see it in the distance. The bright sunlight glinted on the smooth water and she could see birds flit across the surface of the water gracefully. The Forbidden Forest surrounding the lake was dark, but it looked peaceful and quiet. The whole scene looked like a painting and she couldn't believe that she had never seen the Hogwarts Grounds look so beautiful.

"Wow..." The scenery distracted her, she wasn't even paying attention to the fact that she was still hundreds of feet in the air. "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah." He agreed, and she could almost hear the smirk in his voice. "It's a lot nicer at night though."

She nodded wordlessly, still completely taken by the scenery. Unconsciously she began to lean forward, making the broomstick move forward as well. It took a moment for her to notice it, but when she did she yelped and jerked the handle to her chest. They rocketed upwards, completely vertical, and a scream began to bubble from her throat. He laughed raucously, completely disregarding her scream, though his hands and arms did tighten slightly around her. Still screaming, she tried leaning backwards to stop the broom. Instead of stopping, to her horror, the broomstick did a complete three-sixty flip backwards, and if his arms hadn't been wrapped around he she didn't doubt she would've went flying. Somehow the broom had straightened itself and was racing across the pitch horizontally, the force of the wind against her body slamming her back into him. His joy-filled laughter sent tremors through her body and reminded her of a young child who just received his first Christmas gift. It was a sound that, made her happy for some reason, even if it wasn't actually her pen pal's laugh and was just the laugh of the body he was borrowing.

"Turn!" He managed to choke out between laughs, and she jerked the handle of the expensive racing broom, narrowly missing a goal post.

"Stop laughing at me and help me!" She shrieked desperately, yanking the broom again and nearly sending them flying into the stands.

"Stop yanking at the handle," he chuckled calmly into her ear, "Calm down and stop screaming like a banshee. Move the broom as you would move your body. Smooth, gentle, meaningful." The way he said the words to her sent her mind reeling to the gutter (probably due to her choice of male companions) and a fierce blush overcame her face. With gentle pressure he pulled the hand expertly, slowing them down to a reasonable speed and sending them leisurely across the pitch. "See? Not so scary. Just remember. Smooth and gentle."

She swallowed dryly and nodded against his chest. Recalling the feel of his hands when he had controlled the broom, she did her best to imitate his actions. To her surprise the broom followed her directions. With a surprised laugh, she began to experiment with it. A slight nudge here and she sent them along the stands. A tiny tilt there and she was weaving almost expertly through the goal posts. A huge grin spread across her face as she sent them flying higher, circling the field, reveling in the feel of freedom that surrounded her. She was still terrified of falling, but with him holding her firmly to the broom she almost felt... safe. She didn't dwell on their closeness, their intimacy, but a small fraction of her brain accepted and enjoyed it.

"See? You're a pro." He commented and she could hear the smug pride in his voice. The happy grin still on her face, she turned her head to thank him for bringing her out when she froze. She was much smaller than he was and her head just barely came above his chin. His eyes were a molten silver and so filled with emotion and intensity that they caught and held her own chocolate brown ones. His fair blond hair, almost white in color, was no longer gelled back as it had been in his childhood, and was blowing perfectly in the wind. He was so pale that he seemed to glow in the bright sunlight and his light pink lips were moist and inviting.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours but was really only a few seconds before he broke the trance. "Watch out!" He shouted, snapping his gaze from hers ad watching where they were going, focusing on steering the broom. But it was too late. The broomstick nose-dived into the grass, sending them both flying off. They hadn't been flying fast enough to cause any major injuries, but had accumulated enough speed to thoroughly knock the wind out of them.

"Oof!" She gasped as all the air was forced out of her lungs as she pretty much body slammed the ground. Eyes screwed shut tightly she drew in several shaky breaths, trying to fill her lungs with enough oxygen to function. The ground was soft and warm. With a relieved sigh she laid her face down on it, happy to be back on solid ground.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

She could hear something thumping. _Someone must've seen us crash,_ she realized, _and must be running out to help us and see if we're hurt._

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

She wasn't hurt. A bit sore, yes, but not hurt. In fact, the ground was quite comfortable and she really didn't want to move. She hoped the people running to help them wouldn't disturb her anytime soon.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Wait a second. The thumps weren't getting louder.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

And since when did the ground move up and down?

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

And since when did the grass feel like silk?

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

And what on earth was wrapped around her waist?

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Oh. Bloody hell.

With a sharp gasp she wrenched open her eyes and flushed crimson red. She was currently laying on top of Draco Malfoy's body, her head flush against his chest with his arms encircling her waist. The thumps she had been hearing hadn't been footfalls, it had been his heart. Slowly, dreading his reaction, she raised her head. Malfoy was staring at her intensely, confusion and something unidentifiable swimming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry!" She stuttered, making a move to get off of him only to find that his arms had tightened around her, preventing her from escaping. She looked down at him, the confusion in her eyes mirroring his. His lips were parted and he was wheezing slightly, probably from breaking her fall. He was Draco Malfoy... or at least Draco Malfoy's body... and yet she found herself undeniably drawn to him. She had never seen Malfoy look so calm and at ease and peaceful and she found that she liked him like this, liked the emotion that crossed his features versus his normally stoic mask. He was irresistible.

_But he's Malfoy!_ She argued with herself, mentally berating herself.

_No he isn't, it's just his body_. Another part of her mind reminded her lightly.

_Still! We shouldn't be doing this! We shouldn't want this! Get off this instant._

_But he's so comfortable. No one's ever held us like this before. No one ever made us feel like this before._

_It doesn't matter! We shouldn't-_

"I'm sorry." She murmured again, this time for a completely different reason. For the first time in a long time she stopped thinking and let instinct rule. With a small sigh of contentment, she lowered her body back onto his and pressed her lips gently to his.

* * *

**A/N : **Please excuse all mistakes, I'm exhausted right now.

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers, xLinzx, Kaitward, starfire54, x-hermalfoy, Slytherin Possessor, Ashley, CasyRydr., Lya Darkfury, EdwardIzMyMan, Yume Ninja, Kayla, LelyHP, Kat0350, SHSUL18, SilverJellicle, darling draco., pureangel86, ravensnake, bozu, sarabara, michellepittmanblack, iilovefallingstars, aaliona, Pienky, and .

**kat0350 : **They do, and I assure you they will. :) They will before the end of this story, but I can't tell you exactly when. ;)

**Ashley : **I'm sorry you don't like them, I just thought she'd use them because she's muggleborn and most likely has experience with the internet and such. It's also fun to confuse Malfoy, so that was an added bonus to putting them in.

Please review? You'll get brownie points and get to decide on a few of my upcoming Dramione stories.


	12. Their Very Merry Christmas

**Disclaimer :** If it was mine, would I be writing _**fan**_fiction?

* * *

With a guttural sigh he swept a long fingered hand through his tousled hair. He was perched on his bed and a large, brightly wrapped package lay in front of him. With another troubled sigh, he drew out his wand and shrunk the present, placing it carefully in his trouser pocket.

A few weeks had passed since the... flying incident and it was now Christmas Day. Just thinking about the incident brought a sincere, though small, smile to his pale face. Her lips had been warm and soft, only a tiny bit of pressure applied to his own. After getting over the initial shock of the kiss (initiated by a girl assuming the appearance of Granger, no less) he had responded passionately.

He couldn't help but find her fear of flying cute, couldn't help but love the feel of her soft and supple body in his firm arms. The feeling she gave him as she clutched desperately to_ him_ for safety was like no other he had ever experienced. She had clutched to him for dear life, depending on him, needing him. He had never been needed. Not by his parents. Not his teachers. Not by his 'friends'. And yet an almost complete stranger_ needed_ him. It was a good feeling.

She had complimented his 'disguise'. He chuckled darkly to himself. Oh, if she only knew. He thought it was rather clever, who he decided to disguise himself as. But that in itself was another... complication. His disguise had been flawless. So why was it that when she touched his bare flesh his entire body flushed with warmth? Why was it that when she clung to him so closely, almost as a lover would, his dark heart soared? Why was it that when she began to get the hang of flying, when she had started laughing and smiling in joy, a sincere grin spread across his own features and his mood lifted. Why?

But an even better question: did she react the same way to him? At the moment he had to know. He experimented with it. He had held her tighter, held her closwer to his body. He whispered his words in her ear, noticing with satisfaction and almost... joy when a shiver ran down her spine. He spoke to her gently, in the kindest tone he had ever used, and noted the emotions that had flashed through her eyes when she registered it. Confusion and happiness, the latter overcoming the former. That alone made him smile, made him want to continue that tone with her, made him want to keep speaking to her. In his entire Hogwarts experience, he had never made anyone happy. He made his parents content at best with his good marks. He made his Potion's Master proud with his outstanding skill. Hell, he brought girls, women, fiery pleasure and contentment in his bed. But he had never made anyone so happy with something so simple as a flying lesson, a smile, a kind tone of voice.

Her expression was enough to make him want to keep using that tone; to keep exposing her to that side of him, that kinder- dare he say it -_softer_ side to him. But to her. Only to her.

He couldn't understand how a girl could change so much about him in such a short amount of time. How, on their first (and other) meetings, she riled such new emotions in his soul. It confused and intrigued him.

And then she had turned around to say something to him after he had complimented her. Their eyes met. He couldn't pull away. Her eyes were a gorgeous shade of brown, light, almost gold, in the center and faded to a molten chocolate at the edges. They swirled with a warmness, a fondness, that he could escape from. He vaguely remembered wondering if they were really her eyes or the eyes of the person whose body she was borrowing. There was something in those eyes, something that drew him in, that made him never want to look away. But he had to. In his peripheral vision he had seen the ground racing towards them. With a warning shout he directed all of his attention to the broom, only managed to slow it down a bit and make it so that they were almost parallel to the ground. Realizing that impact was imminent he reacted completely on instinct.

He wrapped his arms around her. And when they were flung from the broom he turned them in the air just so, so that he would take the brunt of the impact and not her. Not her.

He hit the ground and somehow she managed to spin in his arms. A second after his back slammed into the grass of the Quidditch pitch her chest smashed into his, winding him for the second time in less then a quarter of a minute. His eyes had been open the entire time and he carefully assessed the damage. Nothing seemed broken, but he was bloody positive he'd have bruises the next morning. He stared at her and froze. She was laying on him, her glorious feminine curves meshing perfectly with his well sculpted body. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her head lay on his chest, directly over his heart. He watched the emotions flit across her face. Anxiousness gave way to ease. Ease gave way to regret. Regret cave way to confusion. Confusion led to realization. Realization lead to embarrassment, a cut shade of red flushing her face. And then she opened her eyes and looked at him.

And he was lost.

He couldn't help but notice the closeness, the intimacy of their position. And he couldn't register whatever he mumbled at her, only realizing that she was trying to get away, to escape. Not a chance. Not if he had anything to say about it. He tightened his hold on her waist and only realized it when she stared at him. She murmured something again and then her lips were on his.

At first it was only a gentle kiss, merely her lips ghosting over his own. But then he snapped out of his shock and responded in the only way years of purely sexual relationships had taught him how: passionately. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, a request for entrance. She had hesitate, slowly opening her mouth a tiny sliver. But that had been enough. He pried her lips open and quickly swept the cavern of her mouth with his tongue, tasting her thoroughly. _She tasted of chocolate,_ he decided, _with a hint of caramel and sugar._ Once he had acquainted himself with her mouth, he caressed her tongue with his own, trying to persuade her to respond. She did, hesitantly. It was obvious she wasn't experienced with kissing but she certainly caught on quickly. He cataloged the information in his mind for later use. He nipped her lower lip gently with his teeth and she groaned lowly. Mimicking his actions, she circled her tongue tantalizingly slow around his mouth and tangled her tongue around his.

Their tongues danced for what seemed like blissful hours. Panting for breath, she had reluctantly pulled away, staring down at him with swollen lips. Her eyes were hazy and her cheeks were flushed.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again.

"Don't be." He leaned up and brushed his lips briefly over hers. She smiled down at him before carefully rolling off of him so that she was lying next to him. She reached shyly for his hand and he had firmly intertwined their fingers.

They laid side by side for an indeterminable amount of time in comfortable silence, both coming to terms with what had happened in the past hour and a half. It had been she who first broke the silence as she observed the sky in contentment.

"It's a pretty blue." She stated whimsically and he turned his head slightly to stare at her with a raised brow. "Definitely not my favorite color. But it's pretty all the same."

He shrugged indifferently." It's okay, I suppose. Not really a blue kind of guy."

"So what's your favorite color then?"

"Hm. Don't really have one. Dark green, maybe."

She looked at him strangely.

"Really? I like green too. Not lime green, more around a light forest green. Sorta keep it on the dow low though."

"Why?"

She smiled wryly. "House rivalry." She shook her head and sighed.

"So you're a Gryffindor." He was fairly positive that his statement was true and he had looked at her for confirmation.

She seemed shocked at first, but then it gave way to a small smile. "And you're a Slytherin." He thought he had done a good job of hiding his house, but once it was revealed he hid his surprise well.

"You're a muggleborn."

"And you're a pureblood."

There was a pregnant pause. She continued quietly. "And I'm a girl."

The corners of his mouth twitched up. "And I'm a boy."

She boldly pressed her lips to his briefly before settling back down beside him.

"So."

"So."

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

"... Yes?"

"What the bloody hell does 'ex dee' mean?"

He smiled fondly at the memory. For the following two hours after that, they had continued to lay in the grass next to each other, the broomstick forgotten, and talk about anything and everything.

After that day they met at least once every week, always disguised as the same people (to prevent confusion, apparently) and talked almost constantly via H.I.N.T.S. They even went flying again. Their conversations varied greatly, but they quickly became close friends and then... something more. She told him about her 'perfect' persona that she used to cover her insecurities. He told her about his difficult childhood and the wrongs that he'd done. She told him about funny muggle inventions and he told her about pureblood customs and traditions. She vented her problems with her friends and he expressed his indifference, and, sometimes, his irritation at his cronies. They had much more in common than either of then could have previously thought, and they both debated their different views valiantly, getting into friendly disputes.

Yes, much had happened over the past few weeks and now it was Christmas day in the late afternoon and he was sitting on his bed, waiting for the right time to leave.

He was going to meet her in the Room of Requirement shortly, one of their favorite places to rendezvous. Which explained the present. It was for her, and, though he was rather reluctant to admit it, he was a bit nervous to give it to her. He never really _gave_ presents, always receiving gifts from his lackeys, sometimes his mother, his admirers and his lovers. This would be the first gift he would give in a long time and it made him feel a tiny bit vulnerable. Would she accept it? Would she use it? Would she like it?

He pushed the thoughts and doubts to the side. He got to his feet, made sure he looked presentable in the mirror in his room, and exited his room, shutting the door firmly behind him. As he passed through the common room, he noted the Head Girl's absence. Things had been weird between he and the other Head and he was slightly relieved that she wasn't in the common room to watch his exit.

He had kept to his word; he had become kinder. Well... kinder might've been the wrong term for it. He stopped going out of his way to torment people and became more quiet and reserved. He still retained his biting sarcasm, superior and aristocratic air, and sharp wits, and people continued to cower in his presence. The changes, however minor, made him appear more mature and almost everyone noticed the difference. The most noticeable change, however, was one relating to a certain Gryffindor seventh year girl. They treated each other with detached politeness, reluctant respect for each other evident. Heated debates were often, but they were usually devoid of the usually hurtful insults, devoid of the word 'mudblood.' Yes, he had changed, but he was still the same cold, aloof, and manipulative Slytherin everyone knew and loathed. He opened up to no one, showed no one any other side of his personality.

Except her.

They had grown close over those few weeks and he found that his affection for her was growing steadily, as was his trust in her. Both changes confused him slightly, but he didn't think much about it, taking the changes as they came. Instead he embraced it, discovering that opening up about his deepest thoughts, concerns, and feelings almost made him feel... good. It was curious.

He found himself in front of their usual meeting place, the Room of Requirement. A pale hand set reassuringly on the pocket with his present in it, he paced in front of the Room with closed eyes. There was a creak and his cold eyes flickered open. A door had appeared in the previously blank wall before him, and, with a quick glance in all directions to make sure no one was watching, he entered.

The room was small and cozy. The walls were a rich green color and the plush carpet was black. One wall was overtaken by a large crackling fireplace and there was a green comfy couch settled in front of it. To the far side of the couch was an enormous Christmas tree, decorated beautifully with dazzling ornaments, garlands, and floating candles. Under the tree sat a single present topped with a bow. On the far wall there was a large bay window with a cushion-covered window seat. Through the panes he could see that the sky was black, with only swirling white snow flurries visible against the inky sky.

There was only a single occupant in the room and she was perched comfortably on the couch, a steaming cup of hot cocoa in her hands. He closed the door gently behind him and her eyes flickered to his. A slow grin spread across her features and she got to her feet.

"Dev," She had shortened his name, Deviation, to Dev a week or so after the flying incident. Settling her mug down on the coffee table that appeared before her, she made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around his middle in a hug.

"Hey," He greeted with a small smile, ruffling the top of her head. "How long have you been waiting for me?"

She pulled away to look up at him. She shrugged. "Not long, only five or so minutes really." She paused, blushing, before diverting her gaze. "Merry Christmas..." She mumbled, a petite hand sliding into her pocket to finger something.

"Merry Christmas to you too." He caught her hand in his and her face flushed an even darker shade of red. He grinned at her shyness. "Shall we?"

"Oh, yes." She smiled at him and lead him towards the couch. He sat down with a content sigh ad she plopped down next to him, cuddling into his side, their fingers still intertwined. There was a lapse of silence, broken only by the crackles and pops of the fire and their even breathing. Finally she spoke in a soft whisper, so quiet he almost didn't catch it. "I missed you."

They weren't together. They weren't. But if anyone had walked into that room at that moment, they would have bet their life's inheritance that the two seventh year students were a couple. Their closenss and intimacy was evident, each holding the other in such a way that only a lover should be allowed to do. She was staring at the fire when she spoke, her head nestled on his shoulder, and he turned his head to look down at her. He had been thinking these past few weeks. His emotions and feelings were confusing to him; he had little experience in the field with such a cold and distant family. Yet even so, he had managed to shift through his emotions and found a growing attachment to this 'Incandescence.' He found himself waiting for her to log onto her H.I.N.T.S. book, finding himself talking with her until three o'clock in the morning when only complete exhaustion forced them to say goodbye and go to bed. Whenever he was in a bad mood, talking to her or meeting her always cheered him up; just saying her pen name (as wimpy as it sounds) was enough to make his heart lift a little. He found himself becoming angry and violent whenever she told him about the bullying and snarky comments she received or when she divulged that she and her best mates were once again fighting. He also discovered himself becoming strangely jealous when she mentioned any other man in their year with anything but contempt. And when she spoke to him with such affection, saying such the smallest things like 'I missed you,' he almost couldn't contain the euphoria in his chest.

As he thought, he continued to stare at her as she looked into the fire, a smirk playing upon the corner of his lips. She noticed him staring and looked at him curiously, opening her mouth to ask what was wrong. He surprised her with a quick kiss, little more than a peck on the lips, but enough to convey his feelings all the same. She looked at him, dazed, and smiled. He grinned and licked his lower lips slowly, licking the residue of the hot chocolate that had come from her own mouth.

"I missed you too." He murmured to her, laying an arm around her shoulders to squeeze her gently.

They stayed like that for a while in silence, just enjoying the feel of each other in the their arms. Suddenly she got up, detaching herself from him (rather reluctantly, he noticed) and retrieved the parcel from under the tree. Sitting back down next to him, she handed it over to him, blushing.

"It's nothing much," She said hurridly, avoiding his eyes as he regally undid the bow and removed the wrapping, "I don't have all that much money at the moment, but I can bake really well, so I thought that-"

He rolled his eyes and smirked at her, popping a cookie in her mouth to shut her up. Her gift to him had been a large tine of baked goods, all homemade. There were cookies, brownies, what looked like a few slices of cake, and a few donuts. "I love it," He told her, taking a bite out of a brownie and reveling in the rich taste of the chocolate to convince her, "They're delicious."

She flushed at the compliment but looked pleased all the same. He pecked her cheek, withdrawing his own present from his pocket. "Cookie crumb." He explained, grinning mischievously. She chuckled then looked at the shrunken present in his hand curiously. One flick of his wand later, a large gift lay in their laps, a long rectangular box from the look of it.

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Is that for _me_? You shouldn't have! It must've cost a fortune..."

He huffed. "Cost counts for naught when it comes to you. Besides, if it makes you feel better, I'll divulge that it cost less than my Hogwarts uniform. Now just open it."

She grinned like a little girl, tearing off the paper slowly to build suspense. It was an unmarked black box, and, with shaking fingers, she slowly lifted up the lid. A gasp escaped her lips as she looked awestruck at the contents.

Inside the box, in all it's black and silver glory, was the new LightningFlash Infinite, the newest and top-notch broomstick released to the public. With trembling fingers, she felt the smooth ebony wood, stroking the straight, clean twigs of it's tail end, and admiring the smooth silver pieces of metal that adorned the handle. She looked up at him, still in shock. "I... I can't accept this." She said airily, looking back at the broomstick. "It's too much, it's-"

"Yours." He replied firmly, quite pleased with himself that he liked his gift so much. In all honesty it was quite expensive, but he had been truthful when he told her that it cost less than his clothes.

She set the broomstick down gently on the table, admiring it as the fire's red light played with it's features. Then she turned to him, her features neutral. He raised a brow at her. She stared at him for a moment before lunging at him, taking him completely by surprise and knocking him to his back so that she was laying on top of him. Before he had enough time to fully comprehend what was happening, _her_ tongue was in _his_ mouth. Getting over his initial shock took him a second and he quickly and skillfully took over the kiss.

When the need for air became too strong, they pulled apart, both panting and flushed. She was still on top of him and he reached up to cup the side of her face affectionately. She sighed happily and leaned into his hand, her eyes fluttering shut. "Dev..." Her words were barely more than a moan. He leaned in for another kiss but she stopped him, reaching into her pocket and grabbing something. She took his hand in hers, pulling her other hand out of her pocket, and slipped whatever she grabbed onto his finger. She kissed his knuckle then laid back down into her previous position. "Merry Christmas..." She whispered.

He held up his hand to inspect the changes. She had given him a ring. "Isn't that my job?" He joked lightly and he could feel her smile against his chest. The ring was a thick silver band with a single large green stone (an emerald, perhaps?) adorning it. To each side of the gem there was a snake poised for attack. And if he looked carefully, he could see through the stone and see 'Deviation' engraved in the metal.

"Wow..."

"Do you like it?" She sounded nervous and he immediately dispelled her fears.

"This is amazing. And you were scolding me for being spendy."

She laughed into his chest. "I made it. Used a few charms to shape it and do the engraving, I just bought the emerald." She looked up at him. "But it gets better." She took his hand. "This ring is sort of like a pensieve. It holds memories and then you can view them whenever you like. It holds only good memories though... All you do is touch the stone and think of the memory and it's transferred into the ring. And then whenever you want to relive them, you just clear your mind and think of the emerald while touching it. It'll randomly chose a memory and you relive it. You don't go into the ring like you do in a pensieve, it just overtakes your mind for a few minutes and puts you into a dream-like state. That way you can do it during class or whenever without getting caught."

He looked at her flabbergasted. "It must've taken you forever to cast all those enchantments to get it to work right!"

She smiled modestly. "It only took about a week of studying to learn the proper spells."

"This..." He couldn't find the right words for his feelings, just shaking his head and staring at her with a slightly furrowed brow. "This... I don't deserve this, this is just..." She knew how most of his life had been dark and negative and had given him a gift that would provide him constant happiness. In his mind such a gift was priceless. "Thank you. You're amazing."

She blushed and murmured something under her breath, gasping when he leaned up to kiss her soundly on the mouth. She immediately yielded her mouth to his tongue, licking his lower lip as he controlled the kiss. Nipping on her lip she moaned into him and he felt something inside him smirk in satisfaction. As the kiss deepened, he carefully rolled them over so that she was below him and he was hovering above her, one arm propped up to prevent his body from crushing her. They broke for air and he trailed sweet kisses from the corner of her mouth down to her chin, along her jawline, and then up to her ear. She groaned as he licked the shell of her ear and sucked gently on her earlobe before trailing more kisses down her neck to the sweet juncture of her neck and shoulder.

He had been with many women, ever since his thirteenth birthday and his 'coming of age' present his father had given him, but none mewled like she did. None of them moaned in that effortless airy way that made him shudder. None of them could arouse him so easily, so quickly, without even trying. None of them made his skin burn so hotly, made such an inferno in his blood that he could barely think straight. She was pure, delicious heaven and he couldn't get enough of her smooth skin. And he wasn't willing to share.

Biting into her neck, he reveled in the load groan she rewarded him, a shiver going up his spine as she gently raked her nails down his back. He soothed the wound with his tongue, sucking on the spot a little bit, nibbling and licking until he was satisfied with his mark._ His_ mark. She was _his_ now. No sharing.

Moving downwards, he expertly undid the first few buttons of her shirt with his teeth and tongue, licking and kissing and sucking on the creamy flesh that slowly became more and more exposed.

"Dev--"

He looked up at her, silky locks falling into his eyes. She looked beautiful like this, lying underneath him with her hair fanned out like a chestnut halo, chest heaving, face flushed. Her eyes were glazed and half closed as she breathed his nickname again, arching into his body. It was his turn to groan, a deep guttural noise that shook her bones. He looked into her eyes, the question evident in his own stormy gray ones. She smiled faintly. That was all the answer he needed. He immediately continued his actions, only pausing for a second to kiss her chest when she spoke her final words before resuming.

"Merry Christmas."

* * *

**A/N :** Sorry for any and all mistakes, in a rush right now. I have studying to do. I'm also sorry if you think the transition from the last chapter to this chapter was choppy. I tried my best; I didn't want to dwell too much on their inbetween time. Anyways, I have myself on an updating schedule, so hopefully I'll be able to keep to it. If I do, this story'll be complete before the end of February.

**I WILL BE DOING A SEQUEL. **I have most of it planned out, so if this story's ending is unsatisfactory for you, there's always that to look forward to.

Thank you so much TashaLyn13, Slytherin Princess, Krabby Patties, Vampqueen27, sanaazzy, mary-loki, SilverJellicle, aaliona, musicmagic7, GirlMarauderJonas, crimson-diamonds-823, TJ Binxs, sarabara, Lya Darkfury, Bozu, Kat0350, Dairire, darling draco., xxbecksyxx, SHSUL18, The Secret Bookworm, N. Emilia, XlinzX, Ravensnake, and Danielle Salvatore for your lovely reviews.

Lya Darkfury : You're too good to me. C: No need to thank me, Dramione is so much fun to write. I should be thanking you, it's all of your amazing reviews that give me the energy to keep writing.

Review please...? The more reviews, the faster the updateeee...


	13. She Falls

Disclaimers disclaim.

* * *

With a heaved sigh, she looked into her mirror, fixed her hair, then went to the corner of her room. She stared at her LightingFlash Infinite for a moment before grabbing it and swinging it onto her shoulder, still in awe that such a thing actually belonged to her. It had only been a week since he had given it to her and it was already her most prized possession (after her wand, of course.) A small smile graced her features and she gently brushed her fingers over her lips. That had been one of the best nights of her life.

She sighed happily as she made her way out of the common room and down to the quidditch pitch. She had a lot to think about and that was the reason she was going out flying. She had already gone flying on her new broomstick numerous times since getting it and had found that flying was an exquisite way to clear one's mind.

And right now her mind was muddled with thoughts of two men: Deviation and Draco Malfoy.

Her night with Deviation had been _amazing_. But where did it leave them? She didn't even know who he was, even though she was piecing together the little hints together one by one to try and figure it out. She didn't even know who he was, yet the feelings he instilled within her without even trying... the burn of his fingers on her exposed flesh, the perfection of his body flush against hers, the mind-numbing tingle of his lips on hers... She had never felt like that, like _this_ before. She had never been so sad that she wanted to die and then have a boy just say _hi_ to her and have her loving life. She had never felt so beautiful with just one glance from a man. She had never waited hours just to speak to a man. Never.

What was this feeling?

She cringed at the mushiness of it all. Was it-- dare she say it? --Love?

And that led to the other half of the problem. Draco Malfoy. She could never look him in the eye now. Ever since Deviation had started making himself look like Draco Malfoy for their meetings, things between her and Malfoy were awkward. She knew it wasn't Malfoy that was making her feel these things, that talked almost as if he cared about her, but she still couldn't help feel confused. It was _Malfoy's body_ that she was snogging. It was _Malfoy's body_ that she had shagged. It was _Malfoy's body_ that held her, that made her feel safe. Not Deviation's, _Malfoy's_. Lately it had started to become difficult to differentiate between the two.

Her mind reeled and she pushed all thoughts out of her brain as she entered the pitch.

As soon as she was in the air, she felt ten times calmer. The air whipping around her was relaxing and she sighed in content as she let her worries and thoughts flow away. It was a gorgeous day, fluffy marshmallow clouds dotting the sky and a glorious wind blowing light snow in spiraling patterns. She was warm in her coat, scarf, gloves, and hat, but enjoyed the crisp frigidity of the air as it bit into her face.

She had been flying for a good while around the pitch, a half hour or so, when suddenly, out of nowhere, something large, heavy, and green slammed right into her. She yelped in surprise and pain, her grip on the broom handle loosening greatly. The green blur continued onwards, circled around, and then sped right towards her again. It all happened in a split second, too quickly for her mind to register anything but pain, shock, and fear. While the first collision had jarred her, the second one had knocked her off of her broomstick so that she was clinging to it for dear life.

She held on desperately to her broom. Her arms and chest were wrapped around it while her legs were dangling in the air. She gasped in terror, refusing to look down, and in pain. Her right side was aching from the collisions. There was a dry laugh from behind her and another broomstick slowly floated into her view. It was Theodore Nott, dressed in his set of green quidditch robes and Slytherin scarf.

"Ahh, what do we have here?" He questioned in his nasally voice, looking at her with humor in his eyes. "Stupid mudblood, you should watch where you're going." He snickered as she began to slip, trying desperately to secure her hold on her broom. He sighed in fake sympathy. "Silly little mudblood. Your side may have won the war, but you should _still_ know better than to go wandering the grounds by yourself on a Hogsmeade day." Nott began to circle her on his broomstick like a predator circling it's prey and she blanched as her hold on her broomstick loosened.

"You're an asshole," She vented, mind searching frantically for a plan. Nott halted sharply to glare at her. "Attacking a student when their back is turned. Fucking coward." She felt herself slide some more. "Even from a Slytherin I'd accept a little more _class_." She desperately took a stab at his pureblood heritage. Maybe if she kept on provoking him, he'd lower her broomstick to the ground so they could duel fairly. The rational side of her mind snorted. There was no chance he'd let her down. But still. Maybe if she stalled long enough, someone would come around and help her. Maybe.

She continued, ignoring her growing fear of falling as her grip slipped. "Face it Nott, you're just pissed that a mudblood is superior to you! Getting a Head position, besting you in every class, crushing your side in the War-"

By this time Theodore Nott was completely fuming and he was glaring at her with murder in his eyes. "Stupid bitch," He spat, glaring down at her, "You're worthless. You got the Head position because you're Dumbledore's _pet_. You beat everyone in every class because you have no life outside of studying. And let's face it, you contributed _nothing_ to the War. It was all your Saint Potter's doing." She swallowed dryly. She was now only holding on to the broom with her arms, her chest now joining the rest of her body bellow the broomstick. He laughed coldly. "I'm doing the school a favor: ridding them of the major blemish in their roster. No one will miss you, little mudblood." He smirked, looking at her with a superior air. "Now, I have things to be doing. Ta, I hope you enjoy your final minutes. I know I did." And with a curt little wave he flew off in the direction of Hogwarts, leaving her clinging to her LightningFlash five hundred meters above the pitch.

"Fuck," She cursed to herself hopelessly, taking a moment to assess the situation. She had foolishly left her wand in her common room. Everyone else was at Hogsmeade, including her two best friends. No one knew where she was, they all thought she'd be studying in her common room. No one would be looking for her. Nobody was around. No one would here her screams for help. And no matter how she tried, she couldn't swing her legs back onto her broom or lower it in any way. Tears pricked her eyes. She was screwed.

A short yell bubbled from her lips as her arms slipped off the handle. She was holding onto the broom with only her hands now. And those were starting to slip now too, no thanks to the wind. She looking down fearfully and tears began to pour from her eyes in earnest now. She really was screwed. There was no way she could get herself out of this one. A dry sob racked through her chest as she thought of that bloody wanker Nott, her friends, her family, and _him_... Dev...

Her hands began to slip.

The tears ran down her cheeks as she looked up at the sky. A wry smile crossed her lips. It was a beautiful day. A beautiful day to die.

The pain in her right side had ached into a dull numbness and slowly her right hand started slipping off of the handle.

So this was it. After making it through her life so far, making it through six years of the magical world at Hogwarts, battling her insecurities, defeating the Dark Lord, finding _love_... after all that she was going to die. Because of a stupid mistake. She thought mournfully about all her plans and ambitions for the rest of her life, thinking of her loved ones and her lover. She sighed and looked back up at the sky. If she was going to die, she wanted to die happy.

Her right hand slipped off, leaving her holding on with only her left. She swayed precariously and the fingers of her left hand slowly began to loosen in exhaustion.

Mind focused on happy thoughts, she felt her fingers lose grip one by one. She closed her eyes calmly, waiting for the inevitable.

"FUCK!"

... what? Her eyes shot open. There was someone above her. Was that... Dev? She called out to him, yelling his pen name at the top of her lungs. Wait. No, no. Why would Dev be out in disguise today? He said he would be inside studying. No, it couldn't be Dev. It was Draco Malfoy.

Now that there was hope for her survival, she began to panic. "Malfoy!" She shouted at him, trying (and failing) to re-grab her broom. "Malfoy, help!"

Confusion, fear, irritation, and countless other emotions passed through Malfoy's eyes. He stared at her broomstick briefly before speeding over to her, arm reaching out to grab her. "The bloody hell do you think you're doing, you stupid Gryffindor?!" He snapped, making a grab for her hand and missing. "Stop fucking moving!"

"Not my fault!" She snapped back, trying to push away her panic and fear. "Blame your stupid mate Nott! Wanker tried to knock me off of my broom!" She grabbed for his hand, managing to brush his fingers, but not really get a grip. "I can't, the wind's moving me!"

"Nott?" Malfoy looked beyond furious. He reached for her hand again and managed to take hold of it, but her grip was loose and her palm sweaty. It slipped out of his hand.

She made a sound of fear as her pinky and ring finger slipped off her broomstick.

"Reach, dammit!" Draco shouted, coming down beside her to try and grab her from there. The wind made it impossible.

"I'm trying," She yelled back, just as desperately. "Merlin, I'm slipping, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Tears began to form in her eyes again. She was so close! Survival was only a few inches away.

"Shit," He sounded just as scared as she was and a small part of her wondered why. Somewhere in her mind she registered a glint on one of his fingers, but she was too focused on making frantic grabs at his hand to pay any attention to it.

"C'mon," He coaxed, trying to steady his broomstick in the gale-like wind. "Almost there...!" His fingers were centimeters away from hers.

She whimpered as she willed her sore body to stretch for his hand. "Please," she begged quietly, "please..."

"Calm down, I got you." Malfoy said, trying to speak evenly

"Fuck..." She said in defeat, feeling her fingers slip. "Fuck!"

Her hand slipped off the broom and she was falling. She felt a scream tear from her throat. Shock and panic flashed across Draco Malfoy's face as he dove for a her, an "Oh, hell no!" passing from his lips. She was falling fast and she had no clue if his broom could dive fast enough to catch her. She slammed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact and the pain and the inky blackness of death. What she was not expecting was the warmth of a hand on her wrist, the feeling of being swung, or the heat of a human embracing her from behind with strong arms wrapped firmly around her middle.

This seems familiar... she thought deliriously, her eyes fluttering open and the drifting closed as she succumbed to numb unconsciousness.

.:-------------:.

A jostling woke her from unconsciousness. Her vision was blurry and unfocused, but she could feel herself moving. Her head was cradled against someone's chest and they were carrying her bridal style. She moaned and squinted and the person carrying her glanced down at her. She registered white blond hair and worried gray eyes before the blackness consumed her once again.

.:-------------:.

She groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She inspected her surroundings blearily. She was in a bed that was not her own, in clothes that were not her own, in a room that was _also_ not her own. Troubling.

"You're awake." The voice sounded relieved and was oddly familiar.

"Dev?" She croaked, looking curiously around the emerald green and silver room.

"What?" From a seat in the corner of the room, Draco Malfoy looked at her strangely, a glimmer of curiosity and recognition passing through his eyes.

"Nothing," She covered, swallowing thickly. "What happened?"

Malfoy got up and shrugged, coming over to his bed. "You slipped. I managed to grab you and swing you onto my broom, but you fainted. I charmed your broom to follow us and I flew to my balcony and carried you in here and left your broom on your balcony. I didn't know the password to your room, so I just put you in my bed. And your clothes looked uncomfortable so I charmed you into a pair of mine." He shrugged again and sat down on her side of the bed.

"Thanks Mal-- Draco." He looked at her with a raised brow. "I would've died if you hadn't saved me. Thank you." She paused. "And thank you for saving my broom too."

"No problem, don't mention it." He replied. After a moment he continued, "It's a nice broomstick. A LightningFlash Infinite, right?" She nodded. "Just curious, where did you get it? They aren't due to be released to the public for another week or two."

A blush spread across her cheeks. "A very good friend of mine gave it to me."

"I see."

There was another pause in the conversation and she took a moment to try and sit up. She hissed in pain as a jolt rocketed through her arm. He looked at her, concern clearly written on his face.

"My arm," She explained, wincing as she felt it. "Nott hit me twice... I think he might've actually hurt something the second time." She gingerly lifted her arm from under the covers.

Malfoy's expression clouded at the mention of his fellow Slytherin. "Asshole." He cursed darkly under his breath before directing his attention to her arm. "Here, let me see." With gentle hands he lifted up her arm. "Tell me where it hurts." She indicated a spot near her elbow and another near her shoulder with hitched breath and he nodded before brandishing his wand.

"What are you going to do?" She tried to hide the fear in her voice.

"Fix it." Came his muttered reply as he ran the long piece of wood over the injured sections of her arm. And her questioning stare he quickly explained. "A learned a few handy healing spells for the War, just in case. There you go." There was a tingling in her bones and she cautiously moved her right arm. It was dreadfully sore, but it no longer caused her any pain. She thanked him again.

He began to withdraw his hand, but as he did something glinted on his finger. It was a ring. She stared at it in shock for a few seconds before his hand disappeared within the confines of his jean pocket.

"You've been unconscious for a while." Draco stated, getting to his feet. "It's still Saturday, but it's half past eight."

"Oh," She inhaled sharply, looking at him apologetically. "Sorry, you didn't have to watch over me all that time. And I've been in your bed this whole time and-" She continued to rant, swinging her legs out of the bed and get shakily to her feet. She swayed for a moment, and he offered her an arm to steady herself. She noticed that she was wearing a large green t-shirt, one that came down to her knees thanks to her petite frame, and a pair of black silk boxers. She blushed faintly.

"Don't worry about it." He said flatly, helping her walk to his bedroom door.

"I'm sorry, you were stuck with me the entire day... I promise to make it up to you." She looked at him with determination and nodded.

He merely chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, don't sweat it." Leaning against the door frame, he watched her carefully as she walked over to her own door and opened it. "Just... I don't know. Just watch out for yourself, alright?" His eyes were dark and unreadable. He seemed to be uncomfortable with the current situation. "Be more careful." And with that he spun around and shut his door with a click!

She stood there for an immeasurable amount of time, just staring at his closed door, before she too turned around and walked into her room. Through the balcony door she could see that he had been telling the truth and that her prized broomstick was indeed waiting outside for her. She decided to get it in the morning; she was exhausted with the day's events. Her body sore and her mind whirling, she didn't bother to change out of Malfoy's clothes. She just slipped into her own king sized bed and snuggled under her covers. His clothes smelled delicious and familiar and she couldn't help but sigh in content. She had a lot to think about.

Other than the whole Theodore Nott trying to kill her predicament, she had a much urgent issue to deal with.

Draco Malfoy's ring.

In the brief seconds she had managed to study it, a few things were painfully clear in her mind.

The ring was silver.

It had an emerald in the middle of it.

It had two snake engravings, one to each side of the stone.

And, in the dark light of his room, she had managed to glimpse what had been engraved _under_ the stone.

Deviation.

* * *

**A/N **: Sorry about this chapter you guys... I know it's shit. I've just been having a really rough time lately and... I don't know. Sorry. I'm sorry for all the mistakes and the typos and stuff. I'm sorry if it's dull. Every time I tried to fix things and write more to this chapter, I knew what I wanted to say, but the words just wouldn't come out. And when they did come, they sucked ass.

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers. I seriously love you guys.

Krabby Patties : Nope, I intend for this story to have 15 chapters. Plus one for when I notify you guys. And I think I'll deffinately be making a sequal.

I have this story scheduled to be finished within the next week. Reviews speed up the process.


	14. They're Revealed

**Disclaimed.**

**

* * *

  
**

_Tp. Tp. Tp. Tp. Tp. _

He sighed and stared stoically at the H.I.N.T.S. book that rested offensively on his desk. Leaning back in his chair, his face appeared to be an indifferent mask. On the inside, though, his mind was whirling in chaos. He knew who she was. He _knew_ he knew who she was. And he was pretty damn sure she knew who he was. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, tousling it further. Of all the people in Hogwarts he could've gotten as a pen pal, he had gotten _her_. Why? Why _her_? He had never felt such an attatchment to someone, never felt so close and caring towards someone, never _loved_ someone, and out of all the someones it could have been it had been _her_.

He tried to clear his mind and think about it rationally.

He knew how he felt. Or... well... he thought he knew how he felt.

Did finding out her real identity change his feelings?

_No._

The thought was firm in his mind. No, just because she was who she was... No. It didn't change anything. _Heh... She really has affected me. _He thought wryly.

On to the next order of business.

She knew who he was. She was smart, there was only a minuscule chance that she hadn't pieced together the hints. Less than a percent of a chance. So how would she take it? How would she take knowing that he was... Would she hate him? Would she reject him? Would things go back to how they were before?

Dark dread formed in his chest as he thought about all of her possible reactions to figuring out who he really was.

_Tp. Tp. Tp. Tp. Tp. _

Tapping unconsciously on the leather cover with his ink-less quill, he continued to stare at the book with stormy eyes. His pale brow furrowed and he pressed his thin lips into a firm line. His near-white hair was cast moodily in his eyes, casting dark shadows over his face that were made more dramatic by the bright moonlight that shone through his window.

With a few more 'tps' of his quill and a clenched jaw, he decisively flipped open the H.I.N.T.S. book and dipped his quill into the inkwell. He signed in. Browsing the online list, his eyes darkened slightly, trepidation filling him. She was on. He tapped her name.

**_Deviation :_**

_Hey._

_**Incandescence :**_

_Hey_

He had messaged her so she wouldn't sign off, but did so without thinking about how he was going to word his thoughts. He didn't know exactly how to write what he wanted to say and there was a long, tense pause.

**_Deviation :_**

_I know who you are._

_**Incandescence :**_

_You think so?_

**_Deviation :_**

_I know so._

_**Incandescence :**_

_We'll see. I know who **you** are._

He unclenched and re-clenched his jaw before narrowing his eyes slightly, resigned.

**_Deviation :_**

_Really...?_

_**Incandescence :**_

_Yes._

**_Deviation :_**

_We'll See._

There was another tense pause before her words suddenly began to flow onto the page.

_**Incandescence :**_

_You're a seventh year_

**_Deviation :_**

_You're a seventh Year._

_**Incandescence :**_

_You're a guy_

**_Deviation :_**

_You're a girl._

_**Incandescence :**_

_You're a Slytherin._

**_Deviation :_**

_You're a Gryffindor._

_**Incandescence :**_

_You're a pureblood._

**_Deviation :_**

_You're a muggleborn_

_**Incandescence :**_

_Your father was a deatheater_

**_Deviation :_**

_Your two best friends are guys._

_**Incandescence :**_

_You love flying_

**_Deviation :_**

_You love learning_

_**Incandescence :**_

_You're arrogant_

**_Deviation :_**

_You're insecure_

_**Incandescence :**_

_You're a narcissist_

**_Deviation :_**

_You're a prude._

_**Incandescence :**_

_You listen._

**_Deviation :_**

_You're intelligent._

The messages came in rapid succession of one another and they stopped abruptly, giving way to a silent lull.

Then, slowly, they both began to write. As he finished writing her name, something in his mind clicked and he just knew that his guess was right.

He had guessed right. He knew it. And as his name glistened on the page in new ink he came to terms with the fact that she had guessed correctly as well.

Neither party knew exactly what to say. And so ten or so minutes passed in silence. He raised his quill, wanting to write something, but his eyes were caught on their names and all thoughts from his mind refused to transfer from his brain to his pen. More time passed, and both remained silent. He didn't know how many minutes passed, but it seemed like only seconds later that she signed out. He felt an odd tugging in his chest, a weird sense of loss. He had wanted to tell her something, had needed to tell her something, but he had lost his chance. Now what?

He signed out, getting up and carelessly dropping his quill on his desk, staggering over to his bed before collapsing onto it. It hurt to think and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing all thoughts to disappear from his mind. It wasn't long before he fell into a troubled sleep, his H.I.N.T.S. book still laying open on the desk, the moonlight illuminating the revelations every hint and clue had lead to.

_**Incandescence :**_

_Draco Malfoy.  
_

**_Deviation :_**

_Hermione Granger._

_

* * *

_**A/N :** feel like shit. sorry about this chapter. it's late and it's totally not my best, but I wanted to get _something_ up. shit. um. one more chapter after this. yeah. working on it right now, so I'll put it up as soon as I finish it. Feel kinda sad about it, been working on this story for what? two years? and now it's a chapter a way from being finished... damn.

I'm thinking about starting an A-Z series of one shots. Anyone interested in them or is it a stupid idea? What do you guys think? Of course I'll be working on the sequel as well, the one shots would just be in between to help keep me sane.

Thank you so much ., LostLoveIsDead, midnightstar4ever, kaitward, victoriam549, darling draco., akaStrobe, Kat0350, Speedsticks, bainst, Freakywriterchick, xLinzx, Sesshoumaruluver01, Laheba Alam, mary-loki, lovelyru, Lya Darkfury, the Klumzy Violet, Brass Camera, sarabara, musicmagic7, CatastropheElm, Ravensnake, Vampqueen27, aaliona, missgrace101, and Danielle Salvatore for your amazing reviews. I love you all.

xLinzx - sorry about evil-ifying Nott; I really like him too, but I have plans for a lot of other characters in the sequel and couldn't use them as a spontaneous bad guy.

bainst - oh. wow. I had no clue at all that movie even exsisted... hopefully it's not too similar to the movie?


	15. Their Beginning

**A/N: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Hermione Granger slowly ran her petite hands over her body, smoothing down her clean pressed clothes. She straightened her tie, unconsciously criticizing her 'faults' in the mirror she stood before. Biting her lip nervously she ran a trembling hand through her hair. She didn't know why she was so nervous. ... Well... no, if she was to be honest with herself, that was a lie. She knew exactly why she was nervous. Exactly _who_ was making her nervous.

She sighed as she registered the blackish bruises under her eyes before spinning on her heel, heading towards her bed to pick up her bag. She had stayed up for hours after their conversation last night. Thinking... contemplating... worrying...

As she left her quarters, she noted the Head Boy's absence in the common room. She felt the air escape her lungs in relief, and, surprisingly enough, regret. As she made her way across the room and to the portrait hole she passed his bedroom and his name gleamed on the silver plaque that spread across the wood.

Draco Malfoy.

For the past few months she had been talking and befriending the Slytherin Prince.

She had gone on _broomstick rides_ with Hogwarts' most arrogant narcissist.

She snogged _the_ Pureblood Prat.

Fuck, she had _fallen_ for Draco Malfoy.

Draco.

Bloody.

Malfoy.

When she first really thought about it, she had a strong urge to bang her head repeatedly against the nearest stone wall. And it was just her luck that this old castle had an over abundance of suitable walls.

She supposed she knew it for a while. I mean, how many amazingly built, arrogant, male, scheming, manipulative, intelligent, entertaining, interesting, amazing prats could Hogwarts house?

Yes, she supposed she knew it for a while. But if she knew it was Draco bloody Malfoy, why didn't she stop talking to him? Why didn't she stop talking to the irritating pest that had annoyed and tormented her for the better part of six years. Why didn't she request a new pen pal? Delete him off of her friends list? Block him from contacting her. Why did she continue to meet him, continue to listen to him, continue to care for him, continue to fall for him. Why? Why did she care so much?

Yes. That was the real question. Why did she care so much?

At first she didn't know. It had taken those long hours the previous night to figure it out. And once she figure it out, she couldn't help but reject the idea. It took another half hour just to accept her feelings and the truth. And then another half hour to figure out how she would act on them.

She knew what she was going to do, what she had to do. What really frightened her was what _he_ was going to do.

Hermione swallowed dryly, shifting her bag nervously, as she swiftly approached the doors to the Great Hall. It was relatively late in the morning, the latest she had ever been to breakfast on a day packed with classes, and therefore she was quite sure most of the student population was packed within the large space, stuffing their faces with delicious yummies.

She halted in front of the doors, shifting her bag once again. Steeling herself for what lay ahead, she took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then pushed the doors open.

The chatter and noise attacked her ears before the doors had even fully opened. Scanning her eyes over the room, she couldn't help but smile a little. The scene was familiar, one she had seen countless times before. The four Hogwarts tables lay in front of her, students in their black robes lining both sides. The house crests lay colorfully on their breasts, the only way to really tell each table apart. The familiar crimson hue lay to to her far left, countered by emerald green on the far right. Blue and canary yellow clashed somewhere in the middle.

Hermione half expected half the school to notice her entrance, but only one or two heads turned her way curiously before returning to their previous conversation. She was okay with that. They really didn't matter, her eyes were focused on the table writhing with emerald green, her rival house, the Slytherins. It only took half a moment to find the familiar shock of blond hair among his fellows. A stab of disappointment ran through her body. He was facing away from her and seemed to be conversing with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini.

Now other students had begun to stare at her as she was still standing in the doorway. Hermione's cheeks colored slightly. Turning sharply towards her own table, she hastily made her way to her seat.

She took her usual seat across from her two best mates, greeting the red and black haired boys with a smile. Harry grinned at her, a quick 'morning' passing from his lips, before he turned back to his girlfriend to murmur Merlin knows what into her ear. Ginny Weasley giggled and pecked him affectionately on the lips. Hermione repressed the urge to shudder. Next to Harry, Ron sat shoveling chocolate chip muffins into his mouth. He sprayed her with crumbles as he said hello, resuming his onslaught on the muffins a few seconds later. Hermione smiled fondly and rolled her eyes good naturally at her boys before beginning to help herself to the vast breakfast feast.

Throughout her meal, she forced herself to focus on her food and her food alone. Thank Merlin the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables were on opposite sides of the room and her usual seat had her sitting with her back to the green wearing bunch. If she had been facing that table, she knew for sure she'd never be able to keep her mind clear of him. Breakfast was fairly uneventful; Harry and Ginny were caught up in their own little world while Dean Thomas engaged Ron in a passionate Quidditch debate. Hermione's silence went largely unnoticed and she really didn't mind. She might have been silent on the outside, but her insides were churning with mountains of butterflies. Was he looking over here? Did he notice her come in? What did he think of her now that he knew she was Hermione Granger? What would he do now? Her mind whirled with questions that were neither desired nor answerable.

With a frustrated sigh at her lack of self-control, Hermione scooped up her bag and swung her legs over the bench, getting steadily to her feet. Pressing down her skirt to ensure it was still in proper place, she began to make her way to the door. Determined to look strong and confident, she held her head high and forced herself to keep her gaze straight, not even shooting a look in _his _direction. She would go to her first class of the day, maybe then she'd be able to focus on something else. Perhaps the break from school had put Snape in a good mood and he might actually share a non-spiteful intellectual conversation with his best pupil. ... Or maybe not.

Hermione successfully made her way between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables and was walking towards the center, eager to leave the Great Hall and _his_ burning presence. Her target was in sight, the huge doors at ten o'clock. She increased her pace. So close... Five more paces and she'd be in the center isle and infront of the doors, five short, teeny, measly paces. She was almost in the clear!

Merlin hated her.

She was sure of it.

Merlin loathed her because, right in front of her, approaching her in a leisurely saunter, was Draco sodding Malfoy.

Her breach and heart jumped to her throat and she felt herself pale considerably. His face was unreadable; his bright silver eyes were stormy and his mouth was in a neutral frown. His black cloak and school robes billowed behind him in an intimidating fasion, but she narrowed her eyes marginally and stood up straighter. It reminded her of the old western movies her gran used to watch, the two characters pacing off and then approaching eachother and meeting in the middle for the conflict. Yes, she knew how those encounters usually ended. Now if only she knew how this one would conclude.

They reached the center at the same time and stopped not but two feet apart. He stared down at her and she stared up at him, neither moving or saying anything. The Hall seemed to grow quiet as they saw the two rivals face off and all eyes turned to them. Even the professors seemed to go quiet and give them their undivided attention.

He broke the silence first and it wasn't with what she expected.

"You know," He said slowly in his usual arrogant drawl, "I never did get to finish speaking last night."

She forced the lump out of her throat and hid the worry in her eyes. What was he talking about. "Oh, really?" She asked, feigning confidence.

"Yes really." She half expected him to smirk, that seemed like the usual Malfoy thing to do, but he remained as serious as ever. It made her nervous.

"Enlighten me."

A ghost of a smile passed over his lips, but it was gone before she could even blink. "You're a Gryffindor."

Hermione tried to read his eyes, to figure out what he was doing, what was going on, but she found herself clueless. Giving up and deciding to play along, she replied. "You're a Slytherin."

"You're annoying."

Her brow furrowed and angry tears swelled to her eyes. Refusing to let them fall, she countered quickly. "You're a prat."

"You're a teacher's pet."

"You're a bully."

"You're stuck up!"

She was not! Huffing angrily, red splotches of color appearing on her cheeks, she forced herself not to say anything she'd regret and to play along. "You're manipulative!"

"You're somewhat intelligent!"

"You're rather witty!"

"You're beautiful."

As they had fired off statements, the two rivals had gotten closer and closer, and louder and louder, until they were in each other's faces, panting for breach from shouting at each other. But his last comment, his last retort had sent her breath to her throat.

"What...?" She managed to murmur, confusion swimming in her eyes as she looked at him imploringly. "What?"

"You heard me Granger." He said firmly. "You're a bloody annoying prudish know-it-all. But...," he raised his hand slowly to cup her cheek softly, "You're beautiful." Hermione, wide eyed at the turn of events, didn't know what to say. Her silence didn't seem to phase him and he slowly continued. "You're so beautiful. I should hate you. I'm supposed to hate you." He frowned. "But I don't. I can't."

A slow, hopeful smile spread over her lips. Holding the hand that was cupping her cheek with both of hers, she opened her mouth.

"You're Draco Malfoy," He stared intently into her eyes, "You're the Slytherin Prince, the prat extrodinaire, the arrogant bastard that I'm supposed to hate." His face darkened and she felt his muscles clench to pull away from her. Hermione refused to let that happen and held his hand firmly to her face. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to talk to you. To get to know you. To like you." She swallowed dryly as he remained silent and emotionless. It was now or never. "But I did. I do. And it's not what I'm s_upposed_ to be feeling. But you know what? Forget that. Forget them. I do."

Draco Malfoy's lips slowly lifted into a content smirk, but she could see the happiness and relief in his eyes. "Is that so, Hermione?"

She shivered as he murmured her name, completely ignoring the hundreds of pairs of eyes that were watching them. "It is." She mutter with a slight nod and smile.

"Well then. In that case I see no reason why I shouldn't ask you to be my girlfriend."

"I suppose if you did I wouldn't be able to say anything else but that I'd love to be your girlfriend."

"It seems it's settle then." The Great Hall exploded into chaos as Draco Malfoy, the Pureblood Slytherin Prince, leaned down to peck Hermione Granger, Gryffindor's Genius Golden Girl, on the lips.

Ignoring the shouting and blaring noise erupting behind them and scramble of students to talk sense into their friends, Draco gracefully interlaced his fingers with hers and led her out of the Hall. As they passed through the titanic doors, she smiled up at him, speaking softly.

"I love you Draco Malfoy.

"That's good, because it seems I love you as well Hermione Granger."

* * *

**A/N:** Ehhh... so what do you think? shit? not shit? was it worth the wait?

iiiiidunno, I'm still up in the air about the sequel. Should I just leave it like this or start up the sequel? I really don't know, so all opinions are welcome. Please, please, _please_ review and tell me what you think. I need all the feedback as I can get heh

Mostly because if I do a sequel, it will _probably_ be mature. Not for smut. o_o sorry, but I can't write like that. Respect to those that do, but I can't. Most likely mature for graphic violence (I'm sort of good at writing those?) and maybe some tasteful sexual content. What are your opinions on that?

Thank you AddictedToFF, BrilliantSparks, darlingdraco., Sesshoumaruluver01, Laheba Alam, commonlyunknown, lovelyru, midnightstar4ever, Lya Darkfury, Ravensnake, xLinzx, missgrace101, mary-loki, Juess-siriusly, NLC, kat0350, sarabara, kaitward, Danielle Salvatore, and LostLoveIsDead for the amazing review. Love you all!

**xlinzx:** I know what you mean about that lacking feeling. :/ that's a major reason it took me so long, I couldn't figure out what to add. I figured I'd just post it anyways, nothing that came to my mind felt right.


	16. UPDATES

A/N:

**UPDATE:**

my new series has begun. :) it will be a series of one-shots (maybe longer) going in alphabetical order. The first chapter of the first one is up and ready to be viewed on my profile. ;) It's titled Are We the Waiting and will be three chapters long. Hope you enjoy!

**/UPDATE**

alright kiddos. After a few months of not working on this story, I have finally re-read it. It needs work. A lot of work. I'll probably revise it sometime later. Some parts are far to tedious while others zip right through what I was trying to convey. I'll most likely re-write this story and publish it as a new fan-fiction. Not sure yet.

I HAVE PLANNED OUT THE SEQUEL. Read the below replies to get a basic idea.

Despite the feedback I've received, I've decided, **as of right now**, I shall **not** be writing a sequel. I may have planned a basic outline, but I'm just not up to writing it at the moment. Maybe sometime in the future, but at the present I am caught up in other things. I will, however, continue to write short one-shots when I can find the time to do so.

Feel free to contact me and ask any questions you may have. Here are some replies to the wonderful reviews I've received.

Lukro: I'm sorry you feel that way. To each his own.

Invisible Truths: Your review made me giggle. I'm sorry about not writing a sequel right away, but my muse just isn't up to it. I'm quite flattered that I'm one of your favourite authors though. Thank you for making me smile. :)

hopeless romantic: I completely agree with you. :) I intend to address that if I do a re-write. I got caught up in trying to update and submitting sub-par chapters in an effort to move faster. Thank you very much, I intend to. :)

atlaan: Haha I doubt it's the best, but thank you very much. :) I'll be sure to message you.

Lya Darkfury: If I ever get around to it, I intend the sequel to be a bit more... mature, I suppose. This seemed incredibly fluffy to me, which, contrary to popular belief, isn't usually what I write. I'm actually more into horror/morbid/twisted/tragic themes. :) I don't want to give too much away if I do decide to write it, but the sequel would most likely be named LIES (it's another acronym) and would continue from where this story left off. It would contain dramione, but it's plot pretty much focuses around a new uprising of 'neo deatheaters' who believe in Voldemort's ideas but have a new spin to them, and how these 'neo deatheaters' focus on Draco and Hermione's relationship. I can't say why they're focusing on that, but it's not because they're god's or some silly idea like that. I'm ranting, pardon me. Basically, the sequel would be darker with less fluff and a more mature approach.

Inu Star Angel: Thanks. Yeah, about halfway through there was a major style change, which is somewhat unfortunate. I'm not really fond of it's lack of uniform. I'll try and adress that if I do a re-write.

kat0350: I agree with you, to an extent. I ended it the way I did because I wanted to keep the more soft and easy-going tone this story has. :) If I do a re-write, I intend to darken this story considerably, and hopefully the sappyness will go away.

ChangesTurnTimeAround: Oh darn. Thank you very much for pointing that out, I always seem to look over that. I'll be sure to fix it when I'm able to. :)

xlinzx: haha thank you! And I agree. I don't mind stories like that, as long as they're well done, but writing something like that really isn't my cup of tea. *cough* I hope I don't disappoint. :)

crazyboy88: thank you very much. :D I know it must be very annoying reading my negative comments every chapter, looking back on it I sound very whiny. Bah, my apologies. And actually, you are the first person to notify me. :o Thanks muchly for the update on that, I was never aware. :) I'll change that as soon as I'm able to.


	17. FINAL UPDATE

Hey guys, it's me. Been a while, huh?

Basically, I have a question. And what better way to figure out the answer than to ask the people who've supported me?

I have re-read this story yet, but I have a feeling I'll be cringing the entire time when I do. Who thinks I should revamp/overhaul/re-write HINTS? Or do you guys think I should focus on new fanfiction stories? OR do you guys think I should focus on original stories to post on fictionpress?

There is a poll open on my profile page. You can use that to vote or post a review or message me or whatever. Whichever is easiest for you guys! I'll be writing up an explanation for the different choices below, if you want the long winded version.

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**HINTS RE-WRITE**

If I redo HINTS, I would basically take down all of the chapters, re-write them, and then re-post them. I was thinking about making it a separate story, but I really don't want two versions floating around. As for the changes to the chapters that would take place... I'm not quite sure. My writing style has changed a bit and I'm sure there are a lot of things that could be improved. The chapters would be longer, for sure. As for the amount of time it would take... I don't know.

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**NEW FANFICTION**

Basically just leave HINTS as it is and focus on new fanfiction projects. I'm still a big dramione shipper, but I've gotten into other subjects as well. Teen titans, Inuyasha... SessKag? Do like. I don't really have any major ideas for new stories, but given some help I can probably come up with a few good things.

* * *

**NEW ORIGINAL STORIES**

I actually have quite a few ideas for one-shots. I also have a lot of characters with, what I believe, are interested back stories. I'm an art student, however, so I might just make comics of these back stories versus actual stories. I'm not sure right now. Either way, I do have some quirky, humourous romance story ideas if anyone is interested in reading them.

* * *

Help me decide guys? It's refreshing to be back and I can't wait to hear from you all again.

_~Never Forevermore_


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